Who Hurt You?
by Mimi Good
Summary: Moving from Virginia to New York City was supposed to be Elena's time to find herself without the pain of her family's past. She is quite instantly thrown into the life of stripping when her funds are low and is hit with the harsh realities of dancing, finds supportive friends, and learns that even love can take place in the club, Petrova Fire.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N; This trope is very taboo and there are a handful of stories that cover the life of dating an exotic dancer for this fandom. I thought about the characters in a setting that would be all human of course in the past but with the added twist I resisted for about a week and a half until I just decided to go on with it. Keep in mind that the relationships in here are not solid and subject to change, and it's rated M because I need that freedom to - put it quite bluntly - write whatever the fuck I want to without tons of restrictions. This story is inspired by so many shows and other stories, I cannot lie I am only one mind. So without further ado, enjoy this upcoming introduction into the life of the new dancer at the lovely Petrova Fire.**

* * *

Chapter One: The Quick Room

Elena follows her verde-eyed companion on an alleyed backdoor into the building. She just wanted to run back on that train and back to her scruffy apartment, this was not the way to go. The smell of alcohol and perfume fills her nostrils as she shudders and closes her eyes. That combination of musk still didn't sit quite well with the young girl and made her long for her old life instantly where she was safe and cared for. However, the straight-haired brunette promised herself, in her dark and cold apartment, that she would not weep for that loss again, a change would happen. Tears were pointless and relentless and somber.

Inhaling her breath and opening her eyes, she walked in, seeing a few girls making the room scarce when they saw her trainer, Bonnie. The girls had the option to take this more discreet way into the establishment, thanks to the boss lady. Plus, it gave them time to prepare for whatever the floor. It didn't matter how long a person danced, there was no certainty the men behind that door were sane - or not. So, that room, their, room gave all those dancers some type of invocation.

"Girl, you don't even start today." Elena jumped at the sound of the New York native's voice. She nodded, rapidly, not wanting to annoy her already. There wasn't a lot of people in the back room as it was a weekday during the middle of a shift. Rolling her eyes, the well-experienced girl walked right past her potential protege near the lockers. Elena cautiously walked over as she heard a lock click. She was now standing next to the woman who walked her it was going to show her the ways of this world.

"Thank you-"

"Bonnie," she interrupted, attempting to keep their conversation impersonal, "It's a whole entire city of girls, you forgetting my name is no big deal." Elena paused, looking dumbfounded. Then Bonnie walks a locker over, pointing to it, and giving her a MasterLock with a key. Bonnie sighs, "Some of the girls here aren't really good with numbers like that so Ms. Boss gave us the choice to use keys." Elena mouths a thank you. She felt like her voice made the other young girl's ears bleed. Of course, she knew Bonnie's name, and she hoped she would still be able to say it.

Their boss had agreed to pay the woman to train Elena for the past week. Until Elena's deposit came in she could not work, officially. The bills needed to be paid. The girl's cluelessness was grating to deal with and even her general questions made Bonnie wonder was she even being paid enough. Throughout the few days, she grew a fondness about the girl, especially after hearing her story. There's something antique about Elena that can't be remade or copied, she had some strange feeling to protect and look out for her, it was hard to explain.

"That is a courtesy lock, you lose it, you replace it. We wear a bra and thong, to put it bluntly, so all your stuff needs to be secured, you're a bit clueless, but not stupid. Don't be one of those girls, please." The brown-haired beauty pulls out her cosmetic mirror and reapplies her lip gloss before placing it back in her bag and continues, "Yo' locker can be next to mines unless you wanna be by somebody you don't know." Elena shudders once again and shakes her quickly and thankfully. Elena was extremely gracious, so much so she ended hugging the woman in front of her; it was just instinct.

Bonnie, on the other hand, was stunned at the sudden, thoughtful act but returned the hug nevertheless. Perhaps, the two could form a mutual trust and a friendship could grow, lord knows she needed it. The brunette releases her friendly embrace and laughs, "I'm sorry it's just that this is the closest thing to hospitality I've gotten here or hell in this city." Bonnie puts her small makeup bag in the locker and shuts the locker door.

"New York has hospitality, alright, but patience is not apart of ours. Come on." The two walk-in unison leaving the club, occasionally brushing shoulders with the sounds of their light laughter.

* * *

A month passes and the ex-Virginian girl starts to find her way. As soon as her money went through, Elena's time at the club started immediately. A few times she danced with Bonnie but then they put her on the schedule on the days when all the older, creepy guys visited the place. Those were Tuesdays at five, usally after their workshift. It was their time to get away from the realites of home life but that didn't equate to treating sex workers like shit.

One of them tried to fondle the poor brunette but luckily one of the bodyguards stopped him, and then again, and finally he was escorted. The guard was was a lean, but defined man with greyish, blue orbs. He had a specific eye on Elena, and she didn't know why. She was only a half-hour in and ran in the bathroom desperately and called the only person who she knew for a short while but seemed to be pretty stable in her life.

"Bonnie," she cried wearily, "I don't think I can do this and I know you said this was going to be a humiliating shift but these guys-"

"Were they escorted out? I told Kai that you don't have much experience with telling those motherfuckers off," she paused, thinking how low his tolerance was for those types of males in the club if he saw them. "Don't do that annoying appreciative thing you do. It's his job, literally to make sure you are safe."

Elena didn't have the energy to defend herself, already defeated and counting down the hours until her shift was over. Bonnie sighed, something she did constantly with the girl and told her simply,

"0-5-10. I have some Jameson in my locker, that bitch may be room temperature, but you need to loosen up just a bit. Take a swig and go on about your night the best way you can, and bitch, I said a swig you won't be having that much fun with my drink."

She ended hanging up, but Elena followed her instructions and she was able to finish her shift satisfied, and washing down the shame with the brown liqour that burned her throat. Ever since then, she was able to get through days without Bonnie at the club too, though, it was nice having her tough exterior friend with her. Today allowed them to just hang out and temporarily not be worried about their nightly work. They traveled to a spa downtown, which was booked to capacity, but the reward for their extended waiting period and the hit their wallets took was worth the pampering.

After a 15-minute train ride to the area their destination was then walking about 10 blocks - to which Elena's endurance started to falter so they decided to take a small break in the mall. The ever spacious mall also had a train that led to it, the brunette felt a bundle of nausea. Not to mention everytime she hopped on a train that she had to clutch onto her belongings for dear life. Was public transportation sickness even real? She sluggishly thought to herself.

Back in her hometown, she had her parents drop her off everywhere until she eventually she learned how to drive her car perfectly gifted on her Sweet 16th, her last good birthday party. That nonurban life was ripped so suddenly from her the summer after. Putting those silly thoughts to the side, she preservered and here the two sat in their jackets since there was a slight chill that rang the entire east coast's ears.

"So," the curly haired girl said after filling her mouth with her greenish, sickly colored frozen yogurt, "we're supposed to be going to my apartment because I have some skecthes I want to show you." She took another scoop of her dessert. Her friend across from her raised a brow.

"I have no idea how you manage to eat that bile stuff and not have a tummyache."

Bonnie frowned, "One, and not that you need to know: It's pistachio. Two, what we do automates a no judging zone." Elena started to speak, but she put her finger up, interrupting her. "Uh-uh, like I said it doesn't matter."

"Doesn't matter shit," muttered the admonished friend. Bonnie gasped, half amused, half wanting to smack her. However, the question was did she make the little Southern girl curse? She suppressed her smirk and slid over her now melted green dessert to Elena.

"Well go dump it out, my place isn't far from here. I coulda enjoyed my personal treat, but your ass couldn't keep your opinion to yourself. Sometimes silence is just your best option, Elena."

The young girl swallowed, feeling Bonnie's flippant words vibrate in her head.

* * *

Bonnie's apartment had a beautiful red to orange color scheme with some occasional black furniture. She lived in a semi-upscale area of the city the people in her complex probably had no idea what she did and not that was any of their business anyway. Elena joked that maybe she was an embodiment of fire. Maybe in another life, the woman was a graphic designer. She giddily opened her binder and flipped through the pages just as so. She was finally getting to her most prized creation until one of the pages was stiff and she couldn't flip it with ease like the others.

"Here, just wet your thumb and it'll work," Elena suggested.

"That's some white people shit!"

"It helps though, and a lot of people do it."

"Uh-uh, don't you go all lives mattering this it's unsanitary and y'all are dir-" She finally got to her desired page. "Okay, nevermind that look what I have in store for us." Elena rolled her eyes with a huge smirk on her face before eyeing her friend's creation. She moved the book from the table to their laps.

"Well?" Bonnie smiled. Elena looked at the designs with awe. Maroon corsets that were the same, but not entirely, then she saw a pair with what seemed to be a diamond embroidery. She placed her hands on Bonnie's shoulders and shook her slightly laughing. That girl loved showing affection. "This is amazing Bonnie, is this for the club?" The girl's curls bounced as she nodded yes. Then, she pointed to the two outfits that stood out the most. "Those," Elena started, "have to be ours."

Bonnie began telling Elena that next weekend that the girls were doing a burlesque themed night and that there would be quite a few lavish guests in there. It was all her idea and it was her first event she'd planned at the club, it was stressful but in the best way. She turned the page to show a more detailed drawing of their threads for the night. One of them was strapless and seemed to be embellishing the cleavage. Elena smirked knowing Bonnie made that design for her.

"What?" Bonnie giggled and held her hands out in a grabbing motion, "You have some nice titties." Elena blushed, and shook her head, "Okay fine I really don't have a choice here, so thank you." She crossed her arms, "By generous donors, you mean..?" Bonnie breathed in, "Okay, the Salvatores are coming."

Elena blinked and tried to put on her best-awed expression, but she had no idea who those people were. Bonnie shook the girl's shoulders forcefully, "Think, you have probably that name in Times Square they own a suit company." She was drawing blanks here. Pulling out her phone, she relied on Google to help a lost Elena. Looking at Bonnie's phone, she saw an array of images of their logo, suits, and an older man that seemed to own the company. Elena then saw a photo of two men clad in suits and took her friend's phone out of her hand. The two had a contrast of black and brown hair along with the differences of their blue and green eyes and striking jawlines. Hell, they probably weren't even brothers. They were both extremely attractive but as she scrolled down she saw more images of the sandy-brown haired one.

"Hey," Bonnie joked, "see something you like? Those are the brothers and they have bank." She emphasised the word 'bank' part to make her friend understand what type of night this was going to be. Elena was incredulous about what she just learned so much so that she had to place her hand over her chest, breathing heavily, "So, they're not models for the company?" Bonnie nodded negatively and smoothly took her phone back. "My goodness, I thought you were talking about that older guy coming to the club, he must be their dad." The stakes were so high for next weekend, any girl who didn't benefit from this upcoming night must didn't want her bills to be paid and have money left over for a few handbags.

"Unfortunately, they will be in a secluded part of the club, courtesy of the boss, but maybe they'll pop out on the floor." Sometimes they needed those easy nights where money just got thrown freely. "Whatever girl working the champagne room is receiving a nice tip." There was silence, thoughts were being formulated between the two of them and then they shared a knowing look.

"Ask Katherine can we be those champagne girls, now," she ordered and Bonnie was dialing their bosses number pronto. Elena sighed happily. Oh, the possibilities to come.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N; Another update and it's lengthy. When I first wrote this I wrote them separately because so much insanity is waiting to take place but for this update you're getting a 2 for 1. Please leave a review or feel free to PM me, I want feedback - positive or negative \- as long as it's constructive and respectful. This may be my favorite even though chapter 3 is really close since of all the Stelena in it.**

Chapter 2: The Best Reel Ever: Part One

"No," Katherine answered, "she's not ready and I don't a need a newbie messing this up." The woman yawned and then straightened up in her chair. Elena stood there with her arms crossed. Apparently, she wasn't in attendance in this impromptu meeting since Katherine talked about her in the third person so freely. She thought when she and Bonnie came in unity it was a package deal. She still had a nasty frown on her face.

They had been in there for about 30 minutes, at this rate they needed to start an official debate on the matter. She groaned. All this commotion over a private room. The female superior eyed her fresh manicure and admired the novelty of them. A good 400 dollars spent and no one can tell me I don't deserve it. Her inner thoughts were often self-reflexive and these were of those times where she could drown out nonsense.

Bonnie lightly laughed, "Are you sure y'all aren't sisters or anything? You could be..." She saw Katherine and Elena in a contentious stare down. She looked down, "Never mind. Okay boss lady, if she's not ready what do we do?" Katherine shrugged, "You guys are going to make money regardless why do you need to work with her so badly, Bonnie? You've practically planned this event by yourself." She had a sudden epiphany, the person who had a great hand in planning this should be benefiting. Bonnie officially could work that secluded area now.

"You're working the room because you've been loyal to me all this time and also have experience with it, whereas she," Katherine points to an irritated Elena, "doesn't. You should have been fighting for this prior to her." Elena grounded her teeth in annoyance, her and Bonnie were a pair and Katherine was invalidating that for her sick entertainment. She really didn't care about Bonnie's potential, did she? She smirked and uncrossed her arms, "Why are you encouraging her to do this, now, Katherine? You are nitpicking for no good reason and you know it."

Bonnie was trying to ease tension between the two brunettes throughout the time they stepped in her office. She saw from the corner of her eye that Elena was stepping forward to be directly in front of the lady in her desk. Oh, God. no, Elena stand back, please. She thought rapidly with her mind going a mile a minute seeing what transpired right before her. Elena said, "You don't care Katherine and you're petty by splitting me and Bonnie up by just now seeing what she's capable of."

Bonnie was so close to face-palming. Claiming that the boss woman didn't care about her dancers was not a good counter to say, ever. Elena knew she wasn't working that room for sure and just released her truest feeling on her unfair verdict. She could hear a pin drop, and then an actual pen drop when Katherine stood up. This was the little ones call out and she would rise to the occasion to remind her of place.

"You are not ready, at all. Your entitlement is blinding this isn't ol' sweet home Virginia where we all do favors for each other." Elena started to talk and Bonnie scanned the woman in front of them and pleaded with her eyes. "No," Katherine yelled, "let me finish. Both of you sit." They obeyed her command. Katherine held her hands out, "Now this was cute, the two of you coming to my office demanding this job for such a huge night with top clientele. Bonnie, it is true I overlooked you but you are one of my best girls, I meant that and I care for all my girls. For you to even imply that I don't Elena is beyond me." The brunette looked at her bare hands.

"Look at me, little girl, you were scared to work the floor and the girls told me you ran to the bathroom during your shift-" The emphasis on her petite sized hurt her, she went long periods of time without eating but she had attacked Katherine's management and there was no coming back from back.

"That was weeks ago! I was scared for my life. The type of men that come here are not punished for what they do to us," she sighed, unfumbling her thumbs in her lap. "That's beside the point, I've improved so much." Silently, Bonnie nodded, she had to somewhat agree with her statement, two months ago she would have said a girl like Elena would have quit the minute she saw one of the girls go topless.

Still standing as if she was directing a documentary of the humiliation of Elena Gilbert she proclaimed, "It's not enough, and when I say that you're not ready, that means you lack the confidence, the strength, the allure it takes to work that room. Improvement? Please, you're still in the training phase in my eyes." There was a certain, all-knowing scowl to her voice.

Elena quivered and bit her lip. Katherine took a lengthy, slow breath. What she said was harsh "You two can go, now, I think my hands are sweating and this is supposed to be a stress-free quarter for me." As Bonnie and Elena began to walk out of her office, Katherine said, "And you're still coming to work, this upcoming Saturday. I'm not stopping your bag." They stopped, and Bonnie looked at Elena this message was for her if it wasn't clear. "You have a temporarily bruised ego, but you can still prove me wrong. Second chances are slim in this world and for women, consider it minuscule." In simpler words, don't show up to work, be fired.

* * *

Work went by for the past week, and Elena held on to the older woman's words for the upcoming event. Coming into the club those days were not pleasant; she couldn't even stomach to be around Bonnie much. Often times she'd enter through that back door the girl showed her and not even speak. This alarmed Bonnie and the day before the anticipated day, she shut her locker door that was adjacent to Elena's that it alarmed her. Waiting for the brunette to look up at her and disregard her phone, she crossed her arms with a slight frown on her face. Girls in the backroom were like vultures sensing the bad blood between the newbie and her mentor.

"What, Bonnie?" Elena asked, her voice drenched in irritation. There were some hushing and snickering noises from the spectators. Truth be told, a few of the bunch were quite envious of Bonnie's executive role at work, how close she and the boss were. She had a knack that they didn't but were too afraid to challenge but if the brown-haired girl would do it, they'd support her. So, those few individuals plotting on Bonnie's downfall stood behind Elena's back as she was locked in an indignant gaze with her. Coming into her own authority in the club Bonnie ordered, and very icily,

"You need to go home, Treasure, you have said my real name, therefore, making me vulnerable in this establishment and lord knows you might say it again out on that floor." She stepped forward despite being smaller than Elena because power isn't about size, it's about the way you carry yourself. She ended up also using the girl's stage name because when they go low, you go high. The girls surrounding Elena got the memo and quietly left leaving her to be alone then she looked around, seeing that the entire energy of the room changed.

"Fine, I'm leaving." She packed her bag hurriedly and it wasn't really loudly but the mute eyes watching her made it seem like she'd set off a weapon. Her heels clicked as she speed walked out the door letting her intentionally slam behind her. Bonnie couldn't help but smirk and exclaimed, "And if anyone of you bitches tries it with me, you'll be suspended from tomorrow's event." The girls looked fearful, gave silence as a form of respect, and continued to prepare for their shift. After she was done applying lotion to her golden brown skin, Bonnie sauntered out of the room and onto the floor, not hesitating one moment, to get to the dollars.

With gloom presiding over her, she walked home from the bus stop and Elena was humiliated once again, and she was tired of it. Her own friend had made an example out of her just to prove a point. This isn't what this life could bring her, her moving to New York was supposed to change that. To steady her thoughts, she turned on the television, she finally got cable, so it should be put to use. She flipped several channels and found nothing intriguing to her, Throwing the remote at the television, she stood up and started walking in circles around the furniture. It had just occurred to her that she wouldn't be working the private room. All she had to do was act confident and would have gotten a good tip for the night.

The girl once wanted to be a writer and did multiple essays and even wrote short stories and poems outside of class. Her parents supported through and through while her younger brother teased her for it, she kept her passion for it post grade school. She desperately wanted an opportunity to showcase her literary talents so she did, thanks to her dad, and she ended up interned for the Virginia newspaper one summer. Things like that made it hard to believe that he broke the family's heart that very summer. All she did was proofread, annotate and do occasional morning coffee runs but it had been one of the best experiences of her life. That was something worked hard for, bringing drinks to a man did not take as much fire as that did.

Elena's flat screen was now shattered and she stared at the disinformation for a short moment. She knew that she would make enough to replace the now broken and black screen but she still fell to her knees, hands in her face bawling her eyes out. The petite girl was just so tired of feeling embarrassed and ashamed and sad. At the snap at her fingers, she would make it all vanish if she could. Running her hands through her hair she had suddenly remembered a bottle of Cognac in her freezer. She took matters into her own hands and in the next 15 minutes, she was drinking profusely out the bottle.

"Oh crap..I was supposed to have a chaser with this, wasn't I? Right, mom? I mean you're better at his than me." Elena yelled at her ceiling, tears still helplessly falling. 3 months ago, her words would have echoed since her living quarters were bare and she could barely afford furniture working a day job. The brown liquor going down her throat burned the first few chugs before she got used to it. Her hand hit the counter-top several times as she felt a rushing sensation in her stomach. One thing Elena knew for sure is that she did not regret putting that bottle to her lips for that night only.

Since her vision seemed to be blurred in the inebriated state she wobbled, knocking multiple items off her tv stand, her family photos were scattered all over the floor, she laughed at the symbolism once she processed what she did unintentionally. The pieces of her old life could never be remade. Elena saw her phone on the bare floor next to the cracked photo frame and grabbed it and began to look through her contacts. Her dad's number was long gone so she decided to call the only other man she held love for, her ex.

"Hi, Matt." The other line finally clicked. He was worried sick about her and even though their breakup was hurtful on his end it was needed, she was way too lost after the stunt her parents pulled. He breathed, "Elena, how are you, you okay? We were all worried for you." She laughed bitterly. No one had tried finding her or take any action to even contact her. They didn't give a damn frankly put.

"Whatever, buddy," she slurred, taking another swig of Cognac, "I'm a stripper so maybe you guys should put actions behind your concern." Matt removed his phone from his ear and looked at it. This couldn't be his Elena. He chuckled it off and tried to continue the conversation putting his apprehension away.

"You just need to get away, a rehab maybe, wait are you drunk? You don't do good with alcohol." Elena scoffed. "You know what, Matt! Fuck you and your condescending and your annoying do good tendencies! I dance for money so what is that hard to believe? There's no other way to pay for life in New York! Putting 40 hours at a 9 to 5 with a high school diploma isn't going to cover it, all the expenses, my goodness! But sometimes I do reflect if the cash is worth it because the guys are so creepy and powerful. What we do is no different than YOU coming into your work every day, we deserve respect no matter what." He was stunned at honesty, it was delivered emotionally but it was the truth nonetheless. Men were dirty, there had been so many sexual assault scandals covered up at his school and he was very complacent. Matt couldn't help Elena, a girl who lived next door to all his life. His incapability to protect her made him a coward and that's how he ended the phone call.

"Look, Elena, you're drunk and talking crazy, please go lie down, you'll be fine, I'll text you in the morning, okay."

She sniffled and heard the phone hang up as she took off her sweater and her jeans. Drinking made the temperature jump so many degrees and unironically Elena felt like she needed to strip down to be more comfortable and lied down on the couch in her destroyed living room.

* * *

Bonnie sighed as she stepped on the gum ridden sidewalks of Elena's upcoming apartment. Yes, it was dead early in the morning, but she needed to make sure her girl was preparing for the day. Last night's events also needed to be talked about between the two. The brown beauty's legs shook, a reaction to the chilly weather outside when she reached the porch. Her shivering stopped when she saw a bearded, unclean man in rags trying to run off with what seemed to be a package she sent to her friend and co-worker. Oh, Bonnie was roaring on the inside and her rage peaked for both Elena's ignorance the thieving homeless man when she chucked her shoe at the back of his head, halting his actions.

The man winced in pain inaudibly, probably from dehydration, and then looked at the woman who hit him in bewilderment and scurried away with her shoe. Bonnie picked up the now damaged box, he must have tried to open it or shook it several times. The box read exactly what she thought it was: her address to this one. She held onto the box as if it were a newborn, just in case she had to repeat her past actions.

"Yeah!" she yelled, "Get the hell outta here." Bonnie buzzed Elena's apartment, angrily and consequently heard a groggy voice telling her to come upstairs. The stairs were very musty and old, Bonnie had this incessant need to rip them all out and put in some new ones; not only her architectural side screamed in discomfort this just couldn't be safe for anyone to use. Especially, for her, since the thieving man took her one shoe so she was naturally barefooted, believing the superstition wearing one lone shoe was bad luck. As she reached Elena's floor, the fifth floor which had a deep red color, she admired it. Now, if only the whole complex had this design..she thought, and by no time she was in Elena's humble abode, watching the girl brush her teeth in the kitchen sink.

The girl quite simply looked a mess. Bonnie felt sorry for her, saving her long story and lecture, set the brown package on the nightstand. She enveloped her in a warm hug, and Elena was shocked, she was the one who initiated their hugs but she silently accepted because she needed it.

The two spent the next hour cleaning her house and laughing. Elena's headache wouldn't stop, her hangover may as well be the end of her if Bonnie had never intervened. She was thankful for her hospitality, but it was time to talk about the events of last night and the importance of tonight. After their cleaning, they sat in the closest thing to a kitchen dining room and Bonnie handed her a warm mug of her homemade honey tea. A drink that she thought was the best anectode for a hard night drinking. She said, "The girls can't know how close we are and that you can challenge me because they will prey on you and then me. I like the hierarchy we have going, it benefits me, but look at me, I'm the most ideal leader." Elena nodded, no one else would have had the patience to deal with newcomers and help the boss plan events on top of also dancing alongside them; that took strength.

"You're right," Elena replied, looking down, feeling stupid for getting blackout drunk, she said, "I think I called my ex last night in a drunken fury." Bonnie felt her embarrassment second hand from experience. She shrugged, "I mean, it's bound to happen when you're at that stage." Bonnie cleared her throat and asked, "So what did you say, were you horny or something?" Elena cringed, she hadn't thought about being close to someone in months. The brunette finally had sex for the first time some short time after her 17th birthday, which was also around the same time of implosion of her picture-perfect family. Everyone around her was having it, so it was only consequential for her to follow suit and she was so sad she wanted to feel the joys of pleasure her friends boasted about. Needless to say, it wasn't that enjoyable, none of her partners really awakened her in that way.

Elena held her finger up, putting a rest to those thoughts, "No, not that. I think I told him I work at the club but he was so far up his knight in shining armor's ass he couldn't even register what I said about it." Bonnie offered a faint smile and put her hand over Elena's, an affectionate, wordless way of hoping it would get better.

* * *

Chapter 2: The Best Reel Ever: Part Two, This Night

It was 4 in the afternoon and Elena was now in Bonnie's house, hair being straightened, sitting in a sleek black chair in front of this huge, beautiful mirror. God, she loved Bonnie's style. Bonnie's friend and stylist, Jesse, had been working on her hair for 40 drawn-out minutes. The young man stated his love for her hair that reached way past her neck and wanted to give it the justice it deserves. Time, however, doesn't offer much sympathy to goals and deadlines. She checked her phone in intervals, half-hoping that Matt wouldn't try to contact her but instead another devil rose to the occasion.

 _Where are you now, future misses Donovan?_

 _We haven't shagged in 4 four months, quite sometime before you left Virginia. I feel used :(_

She groaned, turning off her phone, knowing that the last sentence was a faux hurt of his feelings. All that he did was take advantage of her and tease her relationship since he was the means of it ending. Jesse noticed her frustrated disposition and offered advice, "Ooh, girl, been there done that but sometimes I come back crawling back because when the di-" Bonnie wide-eyed interrupting his vulgar language and exclaimed, "We're not here for that, and she definitely isn't." It was true, they were running out of time for his meticulous work on her hair. He threw his hands up, admitting defeat, and rested them on his hips. Jesse just couldn't give up, prying was his God-given talent alongside cosmetics and he was sincerely concerned about her.

"Girl, I'm just worried, dating someone in the life you lead can be dangerous, these men are very slow, controlling and short-fused, and another thing is short while they're trying to control you." She looked in the mirror at his caring gaze on the back of the head. The eccentric hairstylist put a hand on her shoulder to which she interlocked her fingers with. She smiled tightly and thanked him. "That messy chapter is closed in my life," she looked down at her dark red, sparkly get up for the night, "and I opened a new one."

"A new one that offers a good sum." Jesse quipped as he combed her chocolate-colored locks.

Elena grimaced as she stepped into her heels, she loathed because how they made her feet ache, but she couldn't help but admire the accentuation of her legs. And additionally, costing Bonnie another pair of shoes. The young dancer was already tall, so the heels made her look like she was graced with a supermodel's height. She did a 360 spin to which she heard Jesse's snapping in the background, slowing her wave of confidence. He yelled, "Don't stop on account of me, come on bitch, you're serving ' broke model who occasionally dances on the side'." Elena couldn't stop glowing, even if she didn't understand his compliment fully and they hugged, the two had really clicked the entire afternoon in front of that mirror.

Bonnie cleared her throat, "Hello, we have 45 minutes." Jesse held his hands out walking to his longtime friend, preparing her for a hug as well. He said, "Oh, don't think I forgot about my day one bitch because white fish is here." Elena was confused once again but she just kept a warm smile on her face watching the two friends embrace. Bonnie rolled her eyes and welcomed the hug from Jesse, very nonchalantly. After hugging, he whined, "Ugh I wish I could see y'all tonight but," he sighed dreamily, "DAs are priority, and I've canceled on him twice now. " Bonnie laughed, "Knowing you, yo' ass probably waited for pics." Jesse couldn't help but snicker, his little caramel friend knew him so well. He gave them quick hugs and practically sprinted out the door. Then it was time for the two new friends to depart Bonnie's home of preparation. Elena pretty much guessed what the initials DA meant between their lightly suggestive conversation and kept a small chuckle to herself.

Elena and Bonnie were overly late and hurriedly walking into the alley back door of the club and causing a shift in Katherine's semi pep-talk.

"Oh, look who decided come in, late may I add," The curly haired older woman announced and looked at her resembling worker. When Katherine made their arrival clear, the girls in the locker room quieted down and now they were collectively waiting for the fatality on Elena. "You probably held poor old Bonnie up, she's forgiven of course. But did you almost change your mind last minute, Treasure?" She cooed wickedly, with a smirk. Elena shook her head and said a firm and loud enough 'no' and directly headed to her locker, she was not going to let anyone, including her boss, tear down her confidence and she was going to own it.

* * *

Stefan, Damon, and Lexi stood outside in a line that was wrapped around the building. Damon was growing annoyed, he came here tonight for two things: booze and partial nudity. Those were things he was not was used to waiting for, especially the nudity part. He groaned rather loudly letting his party of 2 know his impatience. Lexi, a blonde clad in a purple and black outfit, rolled her eyes. Pulling out her phone, she starts looking for Katherine's number and swiped right, she had her on speaker.

"We'll be letting people in 15 minutes, what's the problem?"

Lexi eyed a very annoyed Damon and replied, "Yes, but you have a very upset child out here ready to gorge on all your dancers." Stefan almost laughed until Damon glared, scowling at the two of buds and decided to go with a smirk. The line started moving, she already was allowing people to enter it's just that would have taken them 15 minutes to finally come in. He yelled, "Let us in, you know you invited us here not the way around, Kitty Kat." Hearing some muffling on the other end, Katherine spoke, "Okay, but the bouncer has to double your entrance fee, bye! Please enjoy the show tonight." An abrupt dial tone ended their phone call.

"Double? Okay, I'll take it," he said like he had an actual choice in the matter. The group walked up the line, Damon being in front of them getting to their destination. Lexi and Stefan nodded their head like two parents seeing their kid satisfied with getting their way.

The three were finally in the club and strippers gravitated towards them until Katherine shooed them away. Damon and she shared a gaze.

"Katherine."

"Yes?"

"Why the fuck did you just do that?"

Katherine ignored his vulgar words and tone. "Because," she said, leading them upstairs, "I want you here, away from general population." Before Damon could speak, Lexi did for all three of them, "We want to be danced on and throw money, you know classic strip club experience." Katherine rotated and sighed, "While that sounds great, you two," pointing at Stefan and Damon, "you two are high-profile people and I don't want a mob of my girls and paparazzi fighting over you." Stefan rose his hands in defeat, his night already ruined because of her strict rules. "Fine, Katherine, whatever." He then walked into their assigned room, Lexi soon followed but Damon did not.

"No, I'm not like those two, you're hiding something here Kit Kat. Celebrities go to strip clubs all the time."

"Yes, they do," Katherine agreed and then countered, "And I'm not hiding shit. You knew it was going to be limited for you and you agreed to my general terms. We don't need another scandal from you though. I want the page six to read 'Salvatores enjoyed themselves at the Petrova Fire.' You owe me, Damon." Her exterior was hard and she wasn't breaking their deal no matter how many tantrums the adult man threw. He scowled and walked away, deal still not broken since he walked into the room. Katherine had a small victory, patriarchy had a chance at losing after all.

Stefan had been glued to his phone as were the other two since they thought it would pass time. Checking app after app, seeing people have fun out with their friends sure didn't move the time faster. He yawned, staring at the lights that alternated from red and pink. "Should we take a picture?" He held his phone out for Damon to snatch it with the quickness. He said, "I'll take it because you and her," Lexi giggled, covering her mouth like a school girl. The raven-haired man glared at her and emphasized, "Especially her. Point is, you're terrible at getting my good side."

They all took photos together, Lexi and Stefan, in one, and the brothers alone, and then one altogether. The boredom still didn't cease. Feeling very mischievous, Damon wanted to start a somewhat sensitive conversation, Lexi's sexuality. "So," he began, "Too bad we couldn't make it work." Stefan nearly choked and Lexi looked like she was going to slam his face on the ground. Damon stood up, patting his all-black Gucci outfit of any invisible lint. She crossed her arms, this had no real, happy ending to it.

"I could have secured my full trust, moved away from this nosy ass town, and baby maybe I would have taken you to an island or two. Who knows, I would have made a great beard for you."

She scoffed, "All that damn foundation caked up on your face, no, Damon you would have been my beard." Lexi was not going to take disrespect from Damon, especially since he was the one who outed her in a petty, impulsive rage. The foundation comment was a low blow for him. Damon wished he took his teen and young adult years more seriously and went to school, instead he put his looks first and now at the age of 29, he had to face a disease everyone had - age. Nonetheless, he was very insecure about it.\

Stefan, breaking out of character just laughed hysterically. This was the most fun he had all night, watching someone call out his immature older brother was always humorously therapeutic. Damon scowled, again for the night and stormed out of the room. Lexi ran her fingers through her hair, sighing. She felt her hand being squeezed by her best friend and smiled weakly. "Look," Stefan started, "Damon is a dick, there's no doubt about that but he was drunk that night and-" Immediately, she released her hand from his platonic hold, so as of now he was grabbing air. Damon seemed to be a problem in a majority of his relationships and he loathed him for it. However, they were brothers and he had this incessant need to defend and protect him since he'd looked up to him and respected him so much.

"This isn't a conversation to be had," she pointed around the perimeter, "here. You go so hard for him it's just... anyways I'm leaving. I need a drink and a fat ass to look at."

* * *

Elena was being shoved around the floor all night due to the boss's orders. She'd made a great amount just working 3 hours. She was running back to locker because she couldn't carry her cash. As she was leaving the backroom, Bonnie stopped her and told her that she could sneak and do the private room. The next thing she knew that she was putting on a black diamond choker and a platter of champagne glasses. Elena observed them, "What kind of champagne is this?" Bonnie raised an eyebrow not seeing why it mattered but answered anyway to calm the girl's nerves down."

The heels she had on were great for looking absolutely delectable but for carrying, fragile items, not so much. She wobbled, to which Bonnie had to guide her out the room. "Go get em, girl. Woo!" Bonnie cheered as she saw her friend ascend the stairs. As she went upstairs, she saw a young blonde walking very quickly and there was anger deep in her walk. She just slowly moved out the way since the platter combined with heels wouldn't allow a smooth transition. Taking a deep breath, she said slowly, "I am Elena Gilbert and I can handle taking drinks to semi-ish celebrities." She smoothed out her hair and put on her best imperfect walk.

However, Elena was horrible walking in heels so she ended up slipping and it was quite unflattering. When she entered the room, she must have looked right through Stefan because his hands caught her from almost falling. Maybe it was a wrong distribution of confidence. Panting heavily, she felt like she was being held up by air, this was a man she Googled and now she was partially in his arms. How did she end up here, exactly, alone with him? Her hands were sweating under the warmth of his.

"Hi."

She coughed, breaking their hands apart, "Hi, I was just supposed to bring this," they looked on the floor at some of the broken glass. In a 24 hour span, she had two instances of breaking glass, that couldn't be lucky. Stefan noticed a scar on her hand which was very close to her and he held it in his hand again. Elena felt like she was going to pass out at the caring, attentive strokes he gave to her skin. The scar didn't look like it happened just now, it must have happened last night. He apologized, "Sorry, just medical instincts, you should probably get that checked out." Stefan finally got a chance to look at her fully, just making minimal eye contact before did not prepare him for Elena's full beauty.

The burgundy corset she was wearing complimented her well, especially her bosom and she was tall, slender, and her chocolate brown eyes had this skittish flare to them, he was hooked. Elena was counting her breaths one by one because she might not be able to come into work the next if he kept his intense gaze on her. Without thinking, he said, "My God, you're a vision." Elena was blushing crazily, her nerves on an ultimate overload. Internally scolding himself, he changed the subject rather quickly. The medical major pointed to some unscathed glasses of champagne, "Those aren't ruined," he picked them both up, handing her one. They drank, and Elena wondered if drinking on and off the clock was going to be a norm for her.

"Treasure!" The nervous brunette heard a voice call her out. Oh no, not now and not you. She thought rapidly, Bonnie was supposed to keep her busy. Stefan had taken his time drinking the beverage so he didn't quite catch the voice first. Then he looked around and he too heard footsteps, more specifically Jimmy Choo heels from one person's foot. He said, "That must be-"

"Katherine." Elena finished, seeing her boss at the head of the door with a frown sporting on her face.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Wild Chases

Showering while simultaneously thinking about the dancer he frequented at Katherine's club allowed Stefan to let off some steam between the two on his end. After that night, he wanted to get to know her more and he visited the club-alone and discreet, he'd watched perform, drink throughout her shift, and pull in a ton of money. He respected it enough and tipped her graciously even if she wasn't dancing for him personally. The girl seemed to be walking better in heels because when she walked towards him she twirled and bent over for the crowd one last time, coming back up to flip her long, brown hair resulting in more cheers and flying dollars. Yeah, he was mesmerized, to say the least.

Taking the soap from the shower rack, he lathered his towel and wished the affinity he held for the young dancer would wash away with the physical dirt down the drain. Her essence was escaping especially as her confidence ascended-whether he was there or not. Maybe his visits inspired a change in her. He was done the washing up, but Stefan had done too much thinking about Treasure caused the blood in his head to travel to his groin. Naturally, the man was embarrassed, he felt like he was 14 again and had unpleasant memories his brother laughing at his drenched sheets from a hinted wet dream. As he massaged himself, which was the go-to an ideal way relieve the erection he thought about when he wanted a quick way in her treasures.

2 weeks earlier

 _Elena led him to the champagne room of course to which he followed, surrendered even to her steps. The music blaring out on the floor became more cloudy the further they were from the DJ, She pointed to the chair and commanded, "Sit here." Stefan sat down, gladly, he knew he was in for a show. Walking backward, she placed her hands on her hips and squat down. She got up, halfway since her back was at about a 90-degree angle, shaking her behind. Now she had changed from that position and she was walking on her hands, crossing her legs, and when she landed on the ground, she was in a full-on spilled. She was sweating but she wiped it off, disregarding it as it were the morning trash. Her hips bobbed up and down while splitting and Stefan was just in awe. Her performance seemed more personal in their secluded room._

 _Standing up, partially stretching, she untied her brassiere and briskly threw it at him. He caught it, unflinchingly and clenched his jaw really frustrated that he was confined to that chair. Stefan would let her finish her set of course, but she got him hot and controlling himself. It was something he struggled strongly with when it came to her. She covered her mouth all cute-like laughing, "Sorry I just wanted to make sure you were watching me." On all fours, and not to mention topless, Elena crawled to him. It was feline-like the way her back arched on her way to him, he almost growled. "I'm all yours," he replied._

 _Now that she was beneath him, she looked up at him innocently and whispered, "Good, because you know I love the attention." Her hands grazed his chiseled profile. To change the dynamic while in his limited range of motion, he twirled her on his lap and she giggled satisfied with the spontaneous action. He paid her generously for her time, too generously actually. He then said in her ear, "Maybe if you came home with me, you could get more of it." Elena stood up, patting herself off and responded straightly, "Look, I'm a lady. And why that sounds very nice, we're not allowed to do that and I just won't stand for it." She was turned away from him, giving herself a moment to recuperate. "You and your coded words," she muttered with great exasperation in her voice._

 _Stefan then got out his seat, he felt like a complete jackass, he now thought definitely misread the vibe. He apologized, "Sorry Treasure I just, yeah you're right. It's your job and I overstepped my boundaries." He even handed her more money as a form of an apology, she accepted it but crossed her arms over her chest. Elena sighed, "It's nothing personal I really like you and all but I don't do that even If I really wanted-nevermind!"_

 _Raising his eyebrow, he joked, "You were about to say something, going back on your word, perhaps." She frowned, what he did was totally out-of-line and very privilege -y but he felt way less awful about it if she wanted to, too. Deep down, he knew but that approval from her would send him over the edge. For Elena, they were not going to mutually agree to want to screw each other's brains out. There was no return after that. Elena's stance was not going to waiver at any man's desires. Nodding her head 'no', and keeping her arms crossed she told him, "Just hand me my bra, Stefan."_

* * *

Stepping out of the shower, he dried off and used the towel to wrap around his waist until he put on his clothes. He saw a white bag and laid it bare on the sink. Cocaine had been his vice for quite some time now and every time he'd tried to leave it alone, he would always find his way back to the pricey drug. It was messy and addictive; he was doomed to never quit it. After wiping off the rest of the contents of the white powder, he headed out of the bathroom. He jumped, a slight overreaction to his grinning brother Composing himself, he said, "What do you want, Damon-better yet why are you here?" Nothing was said.

Stefan went along with finding an outfit for the day while Damon stood there at the entrance of his door, still grinning. Dealing with the daily antics of Damon was more laborious than any day job. He came out of his closet with a black wife beater and grey jogging pants on. There was a magazine in Damon's hand, it was being waved around. "I think I look fantastic in navy blue, doesn't really really go against my eyes, y'know?" Stefan ignored his silly comment and consequently snatched the picture book.

"Is this out yet? Dad never said we were going to actually model the clothes," Stefan turned the pages to find an interview that Damon and he were in. He was all in for the interview but the visuals, no. The spotlight was more of the elder brother's forte. Stefan was more interested in how tinted he could keep his life, away from the public. So, may have overlooked the weird aspects of their 'meeting' but his family should have known not to carry out with the spread.

He tossed it to Damon who caught it, just barely. Sighing, holding his hands up he tried to come up with a reason why the magazine was good for both of them. "Look, I know I'm sorta the bad guy here, BUT we have to do these things to stay in his good graces. Being broke isn't it, neither is a 9 to 5." Stefan nodded, arms crossed, if he stayed quiet he could ignore Damon's rationale, but this time he just couldn't. He cleared his throat, "No, he won't me cut me off but you, well, you're more of a sensitive case."

Damon was now losing his easy-going, humorous attitude and was becoming rather irritated with Stefan's sly comment. His eye almost twitched, "What does that mean, Stefan." It wasn't phrased as a question at all, actually, it sounded very incorrectly said but Stefan still answered anyway. "I don't know, you tell me, Damon. I say one thing and it ruins your whole mood." Damon's face was showing hints of defeat if the other brother said something else that was about his problematic past there would be no mercy on the information he collected about him.

Shrugging, Stefan continued, "But if you insist, considering your long track record of being mindless, young, slightly but not entirely narcissistic and vain, promiscuous, and that last one is why you can't secure your 25 million dollar trust fund, maybe it's time to stop playing these games and grow up, Damon." Every single word stung deeply because when they were together, they screamed the truth. Taking a step inside of Stefan's bedroom he simply responded, "I mean you're one to talk about being promiscuous, especially around town chasing a stripper at that."

The metaphorical scoreboard had been in Damon's favor all along. He was pleased to hear the silence coming from his stunned brother and began to scroll through his contacts. The raven-colored bachelor would make his sibling regret his words, low was where Damon began. Keeping his stone-like composure intact, Stefan replied in a faux confused state, "I have no idea what you're talking about, like at all. All I know is, your stupid deal with Katherine had us in that room all night."

Damon revealed, "You can't even play dumb about this. I have eyes all over this city and some of them are on you at my beck and call. Even if that wretched old man, took my allowance I'd still have my power and popularity and my good looks, but you already knew that." He had been curious about why Stefan had been gone so many nights and he got his answer from Katherine. The rest came from his actual eyes on the city and he had recently hired a private investigator for his brother's lady in question. They had a family business and no matter how conservative their father was, that could never be in danger so no one could be trusted. Stefan just looked dismissive, still staring at Damon with daggers clouding his eyes. Damon placed his finger over his lips, pursing them, looking like he was in mid-thought.

"Treasure isn't it? I wonder how your girlfriend will feel about that..talk about promiscuity, sheesh. Tsk, tsk my sources say you haven't even bedded her yet you're just radiating anger here and I just don't know why-"

Damon's back being slammed in the door was enough to halt the rest of his extended sentence. He groaned in pain, and his shirt was all wrinkled because of Stefan's super hold on it. He said in a low, menacing voice, "Leave her out of this and I fucking mean it, Damon. I don't give a damn about the magazine or your hurt ego, so stop fucking keeping tabs on me and mind your business or so help me God, the Rose story will be submitted to every news outlet who cares about your dirt."

He had pissed off Stefan several times, testing his limits and it may have resulted in fist fights considering the severity of the situation but this was lethal and his strength was somewhat artificial. Maybe he should walk away being the pissed off one for the day. "Alright, I won't bring that up but don't think you're innocent either, baby brother. All your shit will come eventually. I bet you're high right now, bet she doesn't know about those demons." Stefan let him go as soon there was a reference to his drug use. He walked away from the door and sat down on his bed, face in his palms and muttered, "Leave, please." It didn't take Damon long to exit the apartment.

* * *

Elena was in the mirror, brushing her hair. The small brunette was clad in silver, sparkly v-neck that complimented her breasts well with dark washed jeans. Her accessories consisted of some pearls guarding her wrist, miniature hooped earrings since her hair was down, and a diamond choker. She sighed while spraying some oil spray on it. For once in her 3 months of working at the club, she got a Saturday off. Instead of enjoying it, alone which in her case consisted of most likely sleeping, the ever so helpful Bonnie propositioned that they go to the club to support the girls. It was a form of respect and a way to show Elena wasn't stuck up like some of the dancers preconceived. Not that she cared about that, she used her reasoning for going out tonight could make her dismiss him as a very handsome and attentive client that she wanted to sleep with. Sometimes.

When it finally neared 7'oclock she heard a horn outside and yelling coming outside her window. She put on her white blazer with the quickness and headed out of her tiny apartment. Stepping into the car's backseat, she saw Bonnie and Jesse, and it was Jesse who was in the passenger seat. Elena examined the car, it was sleek and nice, considering her friend's popularity in the club she could afford it. As they rode, she broke the silence.

"This is nice, Bonnie, you never use this."

"It was a gift," Bonnie responded, and Elena offered a weak smile. Then she finished adding a drop of gloom to the evening, "Came from my pops, he thought he convince me out this life with a brand new Lexus and his preacher tactics. Didn't work, obviously." Her delivery was cut and dry, it was Infernus in her coldest form. New but familiar silence surrounded the three of them. Their struggles with their individually brought back unpleasant memories. After a few minutes, Jesse piped up with his usual eccentric attitude and said, "Well, we sure as hell don't need our fathers." Elena and Bonnie said a simultaneous amen.

Jesse groaned walking into the club with his group and complained, "Shouldn't y'all be getting a discount or something? 80 fucking dollars and vagina does not excite me in any way." Ignoring his complaints, Bonnie asked what they wanted from the bar which consisted of a rum and coke and lemon water. Once all together, Jesse made his annoyance known again, "Bonnie, you said tonight would be fun, none of these bitches are working." It wasn't entirely false they looked lost and no one was working the pole.

"You might have to lead the girls, tonight." Elena slapped his hand and exclaimed, "No, today is our day off. They need to figure it out and besides she couldn't even dance if she wanted, Katherine won't let us work more than 5 days." Bonnie ran her fingers through her freshly done braids, growing tired of the conversation. "I am about to go tip the DJ, no one else does it correctly besides me he won't play the type of music we want to hear. That's why they're lost, Jesse," she concluded before speeding away to the man in charge of the music.

Tipping out had been difficult for Elena when she first started but as she became more aware of how to finesse the club, and later came her wealthy benefactor it was the least of her worries. The biggest misconception with dancing was that they kept all their earnings for that night. Jesse sipped on his brown liquored drink in the meantime while Elena rotated her glass, taking a look at her coffin-shaped false nails.

"You owe her an apology, Jesse." He suppressed a groan and admitted that Elena was right. So, when Bonnie came back he grabbed her hand and professed his apologies in the most sincere way he could. They hugged it out and Elena sat in her seat slowly clapping feeling proud of her mediator skills. And just like clockwork, the energy on stage picked back up. The dancers' backs were faced towards the crowd, behinds shaking and everyone was roaring, including Jesse.

"Come on, bitch work that motherfuckin' pole!" Elena and Bonnie couldn't stop laughing. Oh, Jesse.

They were laughing, bumping elbows, drinking, although Elena kept refusing alcohol and throwing money. A dancer offered them a dance, "I'm doing 40 dollar dances, y'all want one?" The dancer was chewing gum religiously. That was code for when they drank while on the clock, they would hide it from Katherine and the other managers. The two friends looked at Elena.

"Okay, I want a dance from you, Aquarius." She laughed as the woman before began her performance Aquarius's hair moved from side to side as she moved her hips to the slow song but then it changed to a more a bass boosting beat and the ass shaking became constant. Someone's ass was in her face and she was loving every moment of it, sober. It was entertainment at its finest and if twerking became old there was always the pole.

Elena's laughter slowed down when a girl tapped her on the shoulder and she turned around. She said, looking and feeling practically defeated, "Girl, I tried everything, he wants you apparently." Tried everything, what? The girl walked away giving away Stefan's identity carelessly. Of course, no one would call him by name but Elena did. She crossed her arms, she hadn't seen him since last week, the nerve he had walking in here on her off day.

"Stefan." She gritted.

"Treasure." He pettily replied, almost grinning at her hostile tone.

"Jesse!" He just wanted to break up the tension.

They laughed lightly. Then Stefan grabbed her hand, his fingers traced her wrist and the jewelry, complimenting them. "I know I haven't been here this week and I'm sorry but I really want to take you somewhere." Elena frowned, but the rest of her body language failed her. She was burning under his very minimal touches on her skin and seemed to be shaking. "You're bold," she replied, 'I'm.." she looked back at her friends, "Out." Bonnie and Jesse didn't seem to mind and were even waving her out.

"You won't be missed, no offense, you're not drinking anyway," Bonnie said, nonchalantly. Elena exclaimed, "Well your car! Who's gonna drive-" Bonnie shook her head, "I'll have someone drive us home, don't worry, okay." Then she mouthed 'go'. There was no way of getting out of this, her friends gave her the okay. Sighing, Elena grabbed her jacket and gave her group a last look of mercy. Jesse motioned her over, maybe he could be a last minute hero. He whispered, "If you sleep with him, do you think you could get me a maroon suit? They're out of stock and I really want to serve on Halloween." Elena was not even sure she let him even complete that ridiculous sentence and her face was red from the anger. She stormed off, wordlessly.

* * *

"Where are we going?" They were sitting across from each other in his limo, how not so intimate.

"Brooklyn." He was on his phone.

She lived there, but she didn't have to tell him that, he wasn't even paying attention to her really. Slowly clapping she sarcastically replied, "How specific." Then, she looked outside her window, seeing a sign that said Coney Island was nearby. Her whole demeanor changed.

"This has to be a date, I knew it. There are so many rides here we're going to get on and the food, I have not eaten anything I could eat a horse actually."

"You're not from here, are you?" She nodded her head. "Well, that's why we're here, I want to get to know you, outside the club." She was stunned by his words, and when she looked outside they met their destination. Unfortunately, if they parked they'd have to walk far ways to get back to the main source of attractions and that wouldn't make a very fun date. The driver opened the door for them and Stefan held his hand out, hoping she'd intertwined her hand with his. She smiled and they walked the boulevard, entering Coney Island hand in hand.

Elena and Stefan had stopped at a restaurant before getting on any rides. When she said she was hungry, she wasn't joking in the slightest. Her entire plate had been demolished and her second order of fries had just come to Stefan put down his burger, "Okay, I can admit the food is good here but I can throw down in the kitchen too." He drank some his large chocolate Oreo milkshake. She laughed, "You cannot out-cook professional chefs, it's impossible. Also, your drink looks like chocolate overkill." Stefan brought his drink closer giving it another sip and responded, "I studied culinary for years and always help cook for the holidays, so it might be probable. Mine's okay on the chocolate while you have a plain vanilla milkshake."

"It's a classic, Stefan." She stated.

"There's no flavor." He countered.

"The looks of yours alone single-handlely gave me type 2 diabetes!"

He shrugged, he still thought his drink was better and he slid it over, offering it. "Try it, you might like an inanimate object that told you about your future chronic disease." Elena sipped it, letting the milkshake rest on her palette, she wasn't that in love with it, she liked the cookies in it, she supposed. Elena stirred it and picked it up, slurping up the bottom of the straw. The noise of that was ostentatious. Stefan licked his lips, staring at her with want in his eyes. Elena giggled, dipping her fingers in the shake and eating it. She knew what she was doing, teasing him was always fun. "I guess I do like it," she admitted.

"So, when do you want to get on the rides?" Stefan asked, wanting to get some adrenaline pumping for non-lewd reasons. Elena jumped out of the stool and walked over to him placing her manicured nails on his chest. "I think I'm ready to get on the rides now." She said it like he hadn't just brought it up. They were able to get a waiter to check them out and headed out.

* * *

Stefan was laughing, no guffawing, at his Elena's reaction to the last ride they were just on. She held on to his hand tightly, screaming at the top of her lungs thinking she was near death. Never wanting to get on a heightened machine again, she walked quickly to the exit. It was 12 AM; the amusement park was closing soon. "I am wearing a halter top at a kid-friendly place, so many moms have given me dirty looks and I am okay with that, I deserve that I guess." There was a certain somberness to her voice.

"You don't deserve that, at all. And don't think you do for a second." Elena felt better at his encouraging words. "Besides," he started, basking in her appearance and joked, "Those kids should know how they got here." Elena deadpanned, "Stefan, please. I am kinda cold, though." He offered his jacket. The two of them officially out of Coney Island and waited for the limo to come back around. The car finally pulled up and the old man came out opening the door. Elena asked, "Does he have to do that-?" They were in the car and Stefan answered, stopping her question quickly, "Every time. I don't pay him to just drive."

Instead of their awkward placement when their trip first began, Stefan and Elena were sitting right next to each other. In hindsight, it probably wasn't the best idea. He rolled up the window that separated them from the driver. Leaning back in the seat, he turned his head to Elena. "Come here." She obliged, scooting over to him, their lips just being seconds away from meeting for the first time. "I had a really nice time..." She quieted down because his index finger dragged her bottom lip down. Then, her breathing got all jumbled up as it did earlier at the club.

"I don't want to be your client," he was in her ear, "Because I want to touch you." And he was, her thigh was warm since he was caressing it. He continued, "And I damn sure don't want to be your friend, I want to be all yours." It was a small, salacious speech but that's all it took for Elena to pounce on him giving her entire being into their first kiss. In their heated liplock, he rid her of his jacket throwing the designer clothing as it came off the clearance rack. His hands were alongside her face and then stroking and grabbing her hair. Hair that she took her time preparing for the night and even when she was on rollercoasters it never got this scuffled. He didn't care about his jacket and she didn't care if her hair was imperfect now.

Panting, they ceased their kissing. Stefan kissed her clavicle, and then grazed her right shoulder with his mouth, his lips never left her skin. Even though she was straddling him, she was being held up in his arms, so they were in a sitting position. There might have been some gyrating, her head hit the roof of the vehicle several times. Elena threw her head back wanting to feel his tongue engulf her entire upper body. He went for her neck but instead of having access to that, his nose brushed diamonds instead. Her jewels were sparkling in the night.

Elena pushed him down so all he could do is be stunned at her sudden control and she began attacking his neck with her mouth. She put her hands on Stefan's chest and began to pull up his shirt, tracing his torso. The roles were reversed, now she was kissing his upper half but then she began nipping at his pecs. She laughed, feeling his erection between her legs.

"Excited, huh?" He squeezed her ass in a nonverbal response and she continued with her pecks traveling down his torso. His belt made a noise, the metal was clicking since her fingers messily tried to undo it. Then, her knees dropped the limo floor, and they shared a gaze. Their eyes burned into one another with lust and Elena shoved his pants down with no warning at all and took him in her mouth.

Half-scared that she was going to puke in his backseat she gradually performed her oral pleasures. It was her own personal goal to be able to take an entire organ in her throat. Stefan had a fistful of her hair in his hand not really wanting to mess up her groove, he just wanted to feel her in some way. When he met his peak, he pulled her head back, he didn't think she could take it. Clearly, he underestimated her, Elena slapped his hand and swirled her tongue around the tip one more time before coming right back up for air.

For once, she gave a man an orgasm because she wanted to. She threw her head back on the seat, feeling very accomplished. Stefan stroked her face and kissed softly, "You're perfect Treasure." She was cold under his touch now. That name was not hers at all. Stefan was confused, that girl's emotions were always haywire with him. She sat up, and her arms were crossed.

"That isn't my name, this isn't me."

"This is over a name? A name you won't even give me, wow."

She turned to face him, "Are you serious? I have to protect myself out here, I'm a dancer for God's sake not everyone can know my name."

"I am not 'everyone' and you know that. Do other clients do this, huh?"

Elena yelled, "Yeah, you're not everyone but yet you are, you tried paying me for sex. I was drunk so I didn't fully register what was happening until you hadn't seen me for an entire week!" Stefan didn't really realize how wrong it was even if he had apologized it was still distasteful and he couldn't face her. There was no getting out of this corner.

"It was a stupid mistake but you seemed very forgiving just before this." That stung. Elena's eyes were watery and her breathing was heavy meaning her anxiety was at an all-time high. She was crying but she was angry, angry at herself for thinking one man could be different. Angry at herself for being so foolish by messing around with him, liking him, and worst of all still wanting him. She still faced him her tears falling down to her cheeks. Stefan could see from the corner of his eye her mascara was running and again, he was the jackass.

"Look at me, Stefan, please." Nothing, no response. She even repeated herself to get his attention and it all failed. Elena wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. Stefan still wouldn't move she let the glass window and told the driver to stop the car. She breathed in and out before exiting the limo, this would be the end of them. The relationship between client and lover were beyond blurred. Elena didn't even bother looking back at Stefan when she walked out slamming the door shut. She held her head high and when she was greeted by what seemed to be photographers.

"Are you with Stefan Salvatore?"

"Where is he?"

"M'aam we were alerted you two seemed to be on some sort of date over at Coney Island, can you confirm that for us? We'd like an exclusive?"

Inside the car, Stefan could hear the fanfare of the paparazzi. He groaned, he truly hated those people. He instructed the driver to drive with Elena, not caring that they had cars and multiple taxis behind them. He yelled, "Don't say anything!" Elena stopped, knowing she did not just hear him asking her for a favor. She simply ignored him. The paparazzi now bombarded him with questions, ones he avoided with a simple 'no comment' answer. One of them asked a final question, hoping for some sort of bullseye. It was past 12 AM and they were hellbent on getting something to report their boss Sunday morning.

"What are you to Stefan Salvatore?"

Without hesitation, the dancer replied, "I'm his whore." Then she kept walking not caring about the PR mess she just caused. The paparazzi rejoiced and Stefan rolled up his window, mentally facepalming at the shit he caused.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I finally have reviews, yay, how exciting. Please keep them coming so that I can keep my inspiration to keep updating this story. It doesn't even have to be a review, you can feel free to PM me if you have any further questions on the story, I make mistakes in writing all the time. So, I am just going to reply to those three guest reviews chronologically and then comes the aftermath so to speak of that disastrous chapter 3.**

 **Guest: I laughed because there are barely any SE fics now on this site and it's so tragic. The concept is so fresh and I hope more and more people come here to enjoy the story.**

 **Bellavida0213: Bonnie and Jesse are absolute gems. I wasn't going to originally bring Jesse in but he is a good balance to Bonnie's blunt and abrasive( to a certain degree, she's earned it) disposition. And for Bamon, it could go there most definitely even though I am not the most privy to Damon. I really loved your take on Stefan/Damon's personalities in this AU because a mutual of mines had a similar perspective on the two since she believes Damon is who he is unapologetically and Stefan tends to shy away from everything basically, lmao and it's okay to be biased. Their dynamic is very fun to write even if it is Damon saying inappropriate, outrageous things while Stefan responds thoroughly disgusted/annoyed. Elena is growing I'll say that and chapter is just that push for her and that's why I love it. Her reaction was very valid and she's young there's this very handsome and rich man trying to woo her and she's dazed, everything is happening so fast for her. Elena and Stefan are a mess that's what I wanted from the get-go. I have this habit of mentioning my mutuals but they were confused on why I made them this way and I'm like guys she's a stripper, it's not going to be your typical SE you love and know in the show. The dialogue note, I hear you loud and clear. One thing I try to do or did is make transition words instead of repeating the person's name like 5 times in a paragraph. I think I get better at that as the chapters but I could be wrong but thank you for the critique and I will go back edit it, soon.**

 **Guest: Glad you're loving it! Please, keep reading and reviewing it only gets crazier for our favorite dysfunctional couple.**

* * *

Chapter 4: Don't Blink

Damon was just satisfied at the fact that he wasn't the family fuck up this year. He knocked on Stefan's door even if he had a key, he just wanted his brother to get up and open the door for him. He was let in and walked in the apartment, smiling with his hands in his jacket. Stefan couldn't even offer any type of positivity this morning. Damon pulled out his phone, opening Youtube. Still looking down he told him, "You know what you did, right? Okay, I'll play it again to jog your memory."

He heard Elena's voice ringing throughout his entire apartment. Damon held the phone out to display the video of the girl talking to paparazzi while fixing her breast area. Stefan had his hand over his neck, blankly staring ahead. Ignoring it wouldn't make it go away but he could try. Damon circled around him with the video still playing. Three words, 7 letters, repeated in Stefan's ears. Damon shrugged, "Okay, she's pretty I'll give her that, maybe her looks alone have got you caught up. We have all been very smitten once in our lives with a certain girl but these women come to a dime a dozen meaning that they're disposable and that also means that they're liabilities I mean these women are very," he saw what his brother was hiding-a love bite.

Amused, Damon finished his sentence, "They are very loose-lipped aren't they, Stefan? Don't answer, you're sporting a hickey, dude." He couldn't stop laughing, this was the ultimate weapon against his brother. He nudged him, "Okay, how was it? Just tell me straight up man to man." Damon walked over to the kitchen, finding them some bourbon to drink. His suggestive questions wouldn't get an answer. Stefan followed him sitting at one of the stools by the kitchen island. Damon slid him over a glass and he drunk it all at once.

"You don't need to know anything. What did the old man say?"

Damon sniffed his glass, checking the strength of it and tilted his glass up. He never liked weak liquor and he answered, "I honestly don't know. Zach told me he's super pissed though, so I'd expect an upcoming meeting today or tomorrow considering our now changing circumstances." Stefan looked at his phone seeing that he had multiple notifications, none of them he wanted to open. Damon grabbed his brother's glass, suddenly refilling it. He then said, "Oh and Caroline is flying in from Los Angeles tomorrow morning, so yeah I'd drink that and things are looking hella drastic for you, so do a line if you need to, I'll leave."

Stefan lifted his drink letting the bottom of it float in the air. He smiled and said in an uncharacteristically happy voice, "Thank you for this brother and hey Damon, watch out." The warning didn't register for the playboy until he was dodging glass being thrown at his head. Damon whined, "Man, that was a good pour too." It hit the wall beneath the wood cabinets ad right below the sink. His constant taunting really was a preface of what was really the reason he came over to Stefan's apartment for. He let his older brother poke fun at him for the situation, but now this was reality and he had to deal with an actual storm, his ex slash best-friend who would demand answers.

* * *

Elena, Jesse, and Bonnie were all on the couch drinking red wine talking about their shift. The topic of last night hadn't been brought besides Elena finding out how they got home. She did not want to jump straight to her scandalous night. The two women had the morning shift and headed straight to Jesse's house right after work. At work, Elena had been making twice her earnings and she was nervous that people would start realizing the girl in the video was indeed her. She barely talked her entire shift but some, if not all the girls knew it was her. They giggled and snickered when she walked in the breakroom and it took Bonnie to shut everyone up to cease it.

Now the two of them sat on their friend's love seat while he sat in the recliner. Jesse placed his wine glass on the coaster rather loudly. It alerted them. Knowing he got their attention he asked the burning question, "What happened with you and lover boy?" Bonnie leaned in wanting to know the details just as badly as Jesse. Elena breathed in and out before telling them their cold ride to Coney Island and how sweet he was at first when they got there and began dining. She mentioned how cold it was and how she never had been on something so high. Looking down, she started fiddling her thumbs and said, "Then we got in the limo. He was everywhere in my mind, his voice was inescapable in the best way and he just looked really kissable."

Bonnie wide-eyed and asked, "So, what happened next, Elena?"

It was all fuzzy in her mind one moment Stefan was in her ear and then the next she had him in her mouth. Then came the arguing and crying, she felt so many complexities at one time.

"I may or may not been on my knees on that limo floor."

Jesse poured more wine in his glass. Bonnie was still stunned and said, "So you basically sucked his dick?" Elena nodded, processing the green-eyed girl's bluntness. Jesse had already downed all of his wine. "So what did it taste like? I've never sucked dick in a limo, the front seat yeah, but a limo? Girl, that's some expensive head. Wow." Maybe she should be teaching him a thing or two. They still sat, waiting for her to finish her story. Elena ignored him and continued her story leading up to the paparazzi bombarding her. Bonnie's quietness just turned into laughter, this had to be a joke.

"So, you jumped on him, pleasured him, and then you're crying and ruining his life the next moment? I'm sorry, Elena but you're-"

Jesse waved her off, "Nevermind all of that, we know our girl is kind of a nut case, no pun intended. Did you spit or swallow?" He wanted to be sure before being too proud of her.

"I swallowed," She sunk her head into one of the couch throw pillows. Jesse and Bonnie both shrieked. After their shock wore off, Elena still had her head in the pillow sulking. Jesse's face twisted in disgust. That had been his favorite pillow and her feminine tears had stained it. Bonnie motioned for him to stand up aggression in her moving hands. He slowly rose from his very comfortable recliner and put a hand on Elena's shoulder and Bonnie soon followed.

"Hey, we're here for you, no matter what you're going through. This is a judge-free zone, we've all done our shit but that doesn't mean teasing you or-"

"Scolding," Bonnie added, she still didn't think her friend knew the weight of his words had to the press. Elena sniffed, raising her head from the cushioned pillow. Jesse picked it up by the edge, throwing it somewhere unimportant. Elena held her hands out weakly, still feeling like an emotional wreck. They knew an inevitable hug was coming. The brunette held on to them, squeezing them and said with a cracked voice, "I love you guys so much."

* * *

It was now Monday morning and Stefan was making breakfast. Cooking had been one of his favorite hobbies and even though he'd never become a professional didn't mean he couldn't have a five-star kitchen to match his culinary skills. Besides, everyone loved his cooking, not so much to make them forget what transpired in the last 36 hours. Making themselves known, Damon barged in with Lexi behind him. The aroma of bread and bacon filled their noses.

"I have biscuits and fruit on the table, nothing else is done," Stefan had his back turned from them, still preparing food. Damon smelled bacon so he was going to get bacon. While he was stealing a piece from the skillet while Lexi sat at one of the stools. She wasn't going to taunt him since she figured Damon and the press had terrorized his peace enough. Instead, the laidback friend took a more positive approach.

"I mean we can barely see who it is since it was way too dark outside. She looks pretty though, maybe your taste is better than Damon's."

Damon snorted, "She isn't even putting out." He chomped down on a piece of bacon obnoxiously. He just couldn't believe his brother was pursuing an exotic dancer just for the hell of it. Maybe that was the biggest key difference between the two-how they treat women. Lexi took his comment into considered it for just one second, "Exactly. There's just something so poetic about her being a stripper and making him work for it, I have to respect it."

Finishing off his bacon Damon said practically yelling, "Oh no, we are not making this into an 'even when Stefan loses he wins in some way' he's in more deep shit than me. Has a fiance for God's sake. I did my dirt but I was never tied down, I'd mess up someone else's happy home before mine."

"Well, if they're not having sex, Damon, why does it matter? It seems to baffle you like you're the one missing out on any pussy. I don't see any unfaithfulness. It could just be a really loose friendship."

Damon ran his fingers through his hair, frustrated, "Doesn't matter, he's still entertaining her, and what are you, his lawyer?" Lexi shrugged, smiling at her friend bringing over a hot plate of breakfast food. There was this unspoken knowing smile Lexi and Stefan exchanged all the time and it drove Damon mad, but especially now.

"I'm going to pick Caroline up from the airport now," grumbled Damon.

After his brother left Stefan started to shake, he sat down trying to level himself but his nerves were at an all-time high. Lexi walked over to him placing a hand on his shoulder. She asked, "How long? You can't be on that shit when Crazy Caroline gets here and Damon said that meeting is at 5 today at the manor." Stefan shook his head, of course, there would be a meeting and conveniently enough he had to find out from Lexi. Begrudgingly, he answered, "48 hours and counting, I feel like my lungs are about to collapse."

Lexi nodded, "Okay, that's good. Just keep your heart pumping, do anything. I'm not here to judge and you know that." She gave him a side hug and patted his back telling him it was going to be okay. After they parted, he said in a low voice, "When that meeting is over I am going to go see her and I want answers." It didn't seem like a smart idea but he was running out of solutions and he'd be lying like hell if he didn't still yearn for Elena.

* * *

Caroline's arrival in her home state had been not so lovely as the cold weather hit her like a ton of bricks and she was greeted by her least favorite member of the Salvatore family. Having someone pick her up from the family instead of a taxi taking her home made her feel wanted. The last thing the lively blonde wanted to do was show up uninvited. While in the car, Damon could feel the pounds being shoved in his car's trunk after she shut it.

"Thanks for nothing," Caroline grunted, noting his lack of help. "If it was Stefan, I wouldn't have to even roll my luggage out." She froze, "Why isn't he here?" Damon was driving off from the airport, faking his focus on the road. She looked at him angrily and called his name out, to which he pretended he never heard and she bopped him on the head.

"Ah, fine, please not the face! He's at his house and Lexi's there, let the man breathe for a second some groupie embarrassed him. He feels awful and you know about that self-loathing thing he does."

Caroline nodded her head, "So, that's the story we're running with? He's obviously fucking her or at least wants to, Damon, I saw the video way many more times than you, and not for the laughing factor. I was like, really analyzing it." Damon felt bad for the girl, he awkwardly touched her shoulder and tried to offer comfort. Caroline wiggled his hand away and she gritted, "I don't need pity and especially from you, Damon. And actually, instead of taking me straight to Stefan's, take me to the manor I want to be the first familiar face your brother sees at the meeting." The black-haired stud quickly put both hands on the wheels of his Corvette speeding off with a devilish smirk.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Only Fools

Lily and Giuseppe Salvatore just didn't understand how their sons couldn't keep their business out of the media. Even with their marital problems, no one outside of their immediate family could think of one scandal. That all changed when their Damon came of age but Stefan's situation had been an overall shock. He had been deemed the golden child when Damon proved less than in her respective teenage years. Crashing cars, sneaking girls in and out their house, and even stealing from them had caused them heartache from Damon. And after a while, they just expected nothing from him except a beating heart.

Maybe they just pressured Stefan too much. He always was on honor roll, never went anywhere without their permission, and he was well-read as an emerging child and adult. Internally, it messed with Damon how they just went on to form the next child like he himself wasn't capable of being saved. He did things to constantly undermine Stefan, things he wouldn't be proud to say aloud. This time he didn't have to do anything since this scandal was caused by the golden himself.

"Stefan, hi," Caroline greeted with a smile. He waved back weakly seeing that she was sitting next to his mother. Damon almost let a laugh out as Stefan sat down but Giuseppe gave him a death glare. To say the least, he straightened up. They all sat in silence after that. Caroline said, "I for one, is very parched. Can we get something to drink here?" Both Stefan and Damon stood up, offering to go get it. Their father raised his eyebrow, it was obvious they were trying to spend as little time as possible at the meeting. In actuality, he never wanted any type of meeting since this was cutting into his own schedule.

"I can't believe I'm saying this but," Giuseppe said. "Damon, you go get the wine and you," he pointed at Stefan, "are staying here, we're here because of you, son."

Lily placed her hand on Caroline's and said, "I am so sorry for the embarrassment he has put you through." Then she looked at Stefan who was rocking back and forth in his hoodie. He stopped his erratic movements. Staying still just wasn't an option for him, he'd felt like his insides had been deprived of nutrients. Caroline stared at him, trying to see through her friend and estranged boyfriend.

"I am so sorry Caroline. This was never supposed to be out, you all know how reserved I am and I hate the public. She won't be a problem for us."

Damon came back with the wine and glasses for it. He poured very generous amounts of wine into each of their glasses. Zach, the family lawyer spoke up, "We aren't able to see her so that's good," he looked at his brother, the CEO of the company, "She won't be getting any exposure off of us unless someone knows who she is and decides to spread the flames even more." Giuseppe titled his glass up and savored the wine, swallowing it slowly. "Well, what if she tries to do put her name out there?"

"Well," Zach said, "From what Damon has told me they haven't done anything so we can a statement about her being a groupie, the story is drying up and we can also not say anything and risk giving her the opportunity to change the narrative. It's better overall to give our statement first because who's going to believe some hoochie mama before a billion dollar company."

Caroline sighed, "People don't care about that Zach they just want drama, you guys seem to forget about my degree in Journalism. Saying that she's a groupie may be our best bet though, what do you think, Stefan?"

He nearly choked, "Um, yeah that's definitely what we should do."

Damon drank some wine and yawned, "Too bad we don't know much about her. Stefan says she uses a fake name, she's probably a scammer." Stefan glared at him, that older brother was swimming in dangerous waters. They heard the doorbell ring and a maid let them in since they said that they were there for a Salvatore. An older blonde haired man walked in with an envelope. He greeted the owners of the house.

"Care to stay Alaric?" Lily asked, "Our meeting is almost over." He nodded, "No, but thanks though Mrs. Salvatore, I'll see you guys later." Damon threw him his keys, "Take my car back to the city, will you?" Alaric smiled tightly trying to hide his annoyance and muttered, "Another 3-hour drive..." and walked out. Giuseppe spoke up loud and clear, "The decision has been made. I want the statement out now and I want you to stop seeing that girl, I'm serious."

Stefan looked down, not really wanting to hear his father's orders. Instead, he just responded with an 'okay.' Caroline finally breathes again, this just needed to be behind them and it was time for her and her fiancee to rebuild. Before she could lead them away, Lily grabbed her saying that she wanted to show Caroline plans for the wedding in the vineyard next summer. She just couldn't refuse, it didn't matter if she and Stefan were on thin ice he was never going to ruin her dream wedding.

Once the two women left Giuseppe spoke up again loud and clear, "Stefan, are you in love with her?" Damon leaned in, awaiting an answer from his brother. "Of course I love Caroline, it's been that way since we were kids," Stefan answered, a certain deadening in his tone.

"No not Caroline, your mistress, do you love her?" Giuseppe had to rephrase the entire question. Looking up, Stefan answered truthfully, " _No, ma sono molto innamorato di lei perché ha risvegliato qualcosa dentro mel_." Giuseppe smirked, almost all knowing of his son's dilemma, "Hmm, I see. You're forgiven, you never got your rush like he did," he pointed at Damon, "So your rebellious era never really started." There was some truth to that, right after high school Stefan had enough credits to start as a sophomore in college, so the scholar never got a proper break. Damon stood there, mouth agape, his brother was yet again getting out of something.

"So, that's it? You're not even mad."

Giuseppe stood up, pushing his chair in and reassured, "Oh, no I'm pissed but I can see where he is coming from. With you, your incidents were fueled by impulsiveness and privilege." Damon had no choice but to accept that, he snarled drinking some more wine. Before leaving once and for all, their father said one more thing to Stefan, "Make sure she's taken care of, boy. Remember: _Mantieni la puttana tranquilla e felice la tua ragazza_."

Later that night, Stefan had been preparing to leave around 12 so he could catch Elena at end of her shift. He left the bathroom to see if he had any cologne in his old room, instead of meeting complete silence, he saw Caroline sitting on his bed with lingerie on. He was startled and mustered a 'hi' to her. She stood up, walking over to him with delicacy in her steps. She placed her hands on his chest and his heart was beating not because of arousal but of fear.

"Look, I know we've been distant and this semi call-off of engagement of ours has been really confusing and," she sighed looking down and said, "I miss you." He half-smiled and kissed her shortly. Caroline took the chance to extend the kiss and deepened it, while her eyes were closed his were wide open. Stefan stood back, out of breath and proclaimed, "Whoa, Caroline, I mean now? This is my parent's house." She shrugged, it was an extremely weak excuse. She started taking off his jacket and shirt as if she was scavenging for gold, "It's not like it hasn't before here." She saw a faded purple mark on his chest and instantly turned away from him, with crossed arms. He was relieved for just one moment until she started demanding answers.

"That's from her, huh? Tell me."

He walked up to her and started, "Caroline..."

"Tell me, now, Stefan or so help me God..." She said, practically yelling.

"They are."

She scoffed, "You are unbelievable. You were just going to see her weren't you?" No response. "Go to your whore then."Caroline saw from the corner of her eye that he was throwing on his shirt and jacket. She couldn't believe it, her Stefan was leaving her to go entertain another woman. "I'll be back in the morning I promise," he pleaded. Then, he said that he was sorry and kissed her cheek before he shut his room door.

Fifteen minutes later, Damon emerged from the closet to see an abandoned Caroline with a bottle of bourbon to her lips. He walked over holding his hand out, "Don't hog it, Blondie." She snarled, wiping her mouth, "Screw you, Damon. I need this with the day I had. Everything you said was right about those hickeys." Sitting down next to the distraught girl he raised an eyebrow in puzzlement. Hickies as in plural? Oh, Stefan was good. Caroline hit the bottle once more, "Is she really a stripper though? I wore this since that's what he's into all of sudden." Sparing his brother, Damon opted not to share the full truth.

"Nope, I got it way wrong."

* * *

Elena had made her rounds for the night and was getting ready to go home. She walked around the club tipping out her colleagues their 20 percent. The club was practically empty when she saw Stefan walk in. The brunette couldn't hide at this point, she began looking around trying to find something else to occupy her. It wasn't smart but she turned around, she just couldn't deal with him.

"Treasure." Elena still stood with her back facing him.

Stefan walked behind her, hands stuffed in his pockets and whispered in her ear, "I hate that I can't touch you right now." She gulped closing her eyes, his low voice radiated a fervor she couldn't handle. Elena replied, "Well, that's too damn bad." She opened her eyes when she felt a wetness on her ear. He licked the actual outer shell of her ear and whispered, "Absolutely criminal." She turned around, "What do you want?"

"Answers. What time are you out of here?"

Elena looked at the clock above the bar. "Now. I'll meet you outside in 10 minutes."

Stefan opened his car door for Elena as she walked out of the club. In her changed attire, she wore pajamas. Right after work, she'd be so tired and just wanted to lie her head on a cool pillow. She commented stepping in, "Thank God it's not that sinful limo." He chuckled as he pushed a button to start the Rolls-Royce. Clearing her throat Elena said, "There's a diner around the corner we can talk there." He nodded okay and placed a hand on her thigh. She looked down, biting her lip.

"Okay stop here." She saw a red and yellow sign that read; Roxanne's. Open 24/7. Elena grabbed his hand and spun around, "I promise you, this is a paparazzi-free zone, these are good people here." Stefan smiled, he liked seeing her in happy spirits. Once they got in, a waiter got them a booth quickly since the place was just as empty as the club was. Elena ordered a coffee while Stefan ordered a Sprite. When their drinks arrived, they thanked the waiter for them and ordered their food.

"So," she started, "What do you want to know, everything?"

"Yes, I do. I want to protect you so you telling me your real name and story might settle my family's nerves."

"Well, my name is Elena and I'm 19. I have no desire to steal someone's billion dollar company or any of that."

Stefan's jaw ticked, "I'm sorry but you said you're 19? I feel like I misheard." Elena scoffed, "First you were hung up about my name and now you're all messed up about my age." Stefan shook his head, "No it just makes sense now..." Even though his brother was the antithesis of age and maturity being synced he could understand why the young girl acted the way she did. Elena was growing annoyed and it showed on her face. Changing the subject, Stefan asked, "So, why are you here in New York of all places."

Shrugging she stated, "I hated living with my mom, she was too dependent on me after my dad left," she started sniffling, "Everyone was moving forward and I was just stuck. I didn't think I could stay anymore. It was selfish but I did it for me and I wouldn't do a single thing differently then or now."

"You go through your day to day life without any regrets?"

Elena smiled and sat up, "That's the only way to really live. At the same time, that doesn't mean I do things recklessly just 'cause. I feel bad for what I did the other day and I told Katherine I wasn't going to the press, I don't want any attention from this."

Stefan pursed his lips, "I think that's the best way to move past this." She cocked her head to the side and looked at him. "Does that mean us too?" No matter what, her feelings just wouldn't just vanish. Elena looked down, huffing when she got silence in return. He passed her a piece of paper and a card, "Elena, here." Taking the paper she saw an address and assumed it was his.

"You can come here anytime you want, I was serious about wanting to see you outside the club. I like you, Elena." She picked up the card that had his name on it and said, "I don't need this, even if we do date I won't quit working." Date, that's what she wants to call it. Stefan shrugged, "It's a credit card, not a life sentence and I'm not telling you to quit dancing-I admire what you do."

Elena was taken aback but put the card in her bra anyways. She coughed, "Well thank you, I guess." The waiter came back with their food. Stefan looked at his phone, checking the time. He had to be back in Long Island by brunch. Elena noticed his wavering attention. She took a bite in her pancakes and said, "If you need to leave that's fine you look like you need to be somewhere." Stefan put his phone away and affirmed, "No, I'll be fine, I wanna make sure you get home safely, it's like 4:30 in the morning." Elena nodded. Crossing his arms he asked, "So how was your night?" Drinking down her orange juice she laughed incredulously.

"At work?" Stefan nodded, he wasn't jealous really he was just curious. Elena, on the other hand, was bewildered, no one had really asked her what happened during her shifts other Bonnie. And even then, that was only when the two didn't share a shift together. Little, meaningless things had happened and she had no one to talk about them. No one really to share her days with but there Stefan was right there asking about it and wanting to hear it. This was finally her chance to have someone for , I must have gotten my info wrong."


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: I had no class today so I figured why not a double update? Seeds are being planted in this chapter, but hey that's every chapter! Please make sure you read and review I'm enjoying your responses and they fuel me to write even more and make time in my schedule to do so.**

* * *

Chapter 6: Trip

Caroline decided her stay in New York would be cut in half and said her goodbyes to the Salvatores and their lovely manor. She played the perfect little girlfriend even when Stefan came home around 7 am without a proper explanation. She begged to take the jet back to Manhattan and Giuseppe gave it to her with no problem at all. When she landed in the city, she had a vengeance.

She knocked on the door of an old friend expecting to be let in with open arms.

"Caroline," Katherine greeted, and the blonde walked right in making herself at home. Caroline practically raided her cabinet and she was out of breath doing so. "Where's your alcohol?" The curly haired brunette pointed to the bottom cabinets. She mouthed a thank you and poured them both a glass. After all, it was Katherine's house. They sat next to each other on the couch.

"Difficult visit?" Katherine asked, sipping from her glass. Her tone was distant like she wasn't front row to the latest Salvatore scandal; the woman was a pro at hiding valuable information. Caroline blew her breath and that sufficed her question. The blonde sat up, "I just don't understand this just isn't him." Katherine just nodded, rubbing her shoulder letting silence loom over them. Tapping her coffin-shaped nails on her glass she said, "So, maybe this thing you have with Klaus isn't all bad." Katherine smirked again taking a small sip.

The blonde's whole demeanor changed and she began thinking a mile a minute coming up with excuses to say aloud.

"I-I have no idea what you're talking about. Nik and I have always been friends and besides, he doesn't want to settle down." Katherine stared at her with major disbelief in her eyes. Caroline couldn't stay still, she'd been caught. The female boss patted her jeans and just acted calmly while her friend relentlessly fidgeted on her couch. Placing her hand over Caroline's thigh she claimed, "I don't judge, please let it all out and I may be of assistance."

Caroline started crying as she revealed her break from her engagement had been the most liberating feeling of her life. It gave her clarity to be single for about 2 weeks. She rekindled her romance with the British native while doing a project in California. A reunion at a night at the bar turned into a steamy hookup and she just couldn't stop. Unlike Stefan, he had plans to take over the family business so he entrenched power and dominance. Klaus had a short fuse and while it frightened her it also enticed her.

"So," she bawled, "It's not like I want to hurt him, it's just that I don't think it's fated for us like his parents think it is. I really do want my summer wedding though."

"You'd want your wedding at the expense of your own happiness?" Katherine asked.

Caroline gulped, "Yes. Which is why I need that self-proclaimed whore out of the way or at least quiet. He went to go see her yesterday and came back so late in the morning." Her sobs suddenly quieted down now. She wasn't going to let her dreams go of living the good life of being someone's misses because of some harlot. Katherine wasn't the only one playing a game here, the blonde quickly caught on to her semi-manipulative tactics. She has to know who the video ho is. Caroline thought.

Katherine crossed her arms, "Oh did he?" The engaged woman nodded in confirmation; she was making progress with her, finally. Caroline removed her hand from Katherine's and started gathering her belonging and they hugged briefly. She told her friend that it felt really great to talk again and how therapeutic it was to finally divulge about the Klaus dilemma. That last part was true, she couldn't tell Stefan about everything anymore since their phase from friendship to relationship ruined any type of honesty. Before actually leaving the apartment she said, "I know you keep your ear out on these streets please deal with the information you learn accordingly,"

As Caroline closed her door, Katherine promised in a low voice, "Oh, I will."

* * *

The three of the best buds were snacking on a special dessert. Jesse sunk his teeth into his chocolate brownie. Rolling his eyes he complained, "Ugh, Bonnie you said these would have a kick to them." The caramel female in question was licking her fingers even though visibly there was nothing on them. Jesse stared at her for a moment and started laughing, "Are you reenacting Miss Treasure in the limo?" Elena gasped, but still not getting up from the couch. Bonnie laughed at her and grabbed one more brownie.

"You see the effect it has on her? If I put any more of that shit in there, we'd be calling the paramedics for her ass right now."

Elena's head was still facing the ceiling and she stated clear as day, "I am falling in love with Stefan Salvatore." Bonnie and Jesse stared at one another and threw their heads back in laughter simultaneously. The brunette put her hands over her ears, their voices were 10 times louder in her influenced state. And it wasn't just the extra ingredient in the brownies speaking she was sure about her feelings.

"No," She sat up putting her legs criss-cross like an elementary school kid. "We actually talk about my days and he listens, we drink wine together, we watch TV, he cooks and when he can't we order takeout, he likes to touch and kiss me so we cuddle a lot it's very passionate and..." Elena trailed off.

"Dick's that good, huh?" Jesse asked, with a smirk. Elena blushed, "No, we're not there yet." She saw both their glares. Throwing her hands up she defended herself, "Okay, I can explain. Like I really, really want to. I don't know it's easy for me to strip one way and not the other," she looked down folding her hands, "It's stupid I know." Bonnie shook her head, "It's not stupid it's intimacy, and I'm glad you said that. You'll get there eventually."

"Eventually, my ass. That mine is fine, Elena what the hell is wrong is you? I will go over there myself and-"

"Okay, it's not that just that," she exclaimed, "I work from 7 pm to 3 in the morning and I am exhausted. I refuse to sleep with him without my full stamina."

"I think Katherine knows," Bonnie wondered aloud.

Jesse leaned in, "Clarify for us, Miss Infernus."

"She knows about you and Stefan, Elena. She must be punishing you, I don't think she knows about your actual personal issues but she wants you to feel tired and worn out, like a quiet suffering."

Elena was in shock, she looked around and began to sweat profusely. She sprinted to the sink fixing a cup of water, gulped it down and started panting. Her friends looked seconds away from calling the paramedics for real this time. In Elena's mind, this had been that night all over again where the boss lady had to assert her power. It was deeper now because physically, she had to face the consequences for indulging in the life of luxury or so the young dancer thought.

* * *

"You can't just have her now, you gotta take her out on a date and woo her and then put that good ol' Salvatore lovin' on her," Damon said to his brother while he was the floor doing push-ups. He walked around him hands at his sides. Stefan tried putting all his attention into his muscular training but it failed. He stood up and walked to the refrigerator looking for a cool bottle of water. After downing it he replied, "I don't know why I tell you anything at this point, Damon."

It took an hour of prying but Damon finally got it out of him and he wouldn't leave his brother alone about it until he was having some type of sex. Damon walked over to him and said coolly, "She's a flower, you can't release all your pent-up aggression on her, she doesn't deserve that. She wouldn't be so tired if she just quit her job." Grabbing another water bottle, Stefan spoke up, "She's not quitting her job because I have money she's keeping it because that's what makes her unique." Damon just didn't understand it but he was willing to look past it.

"Okay, when do you think it'll happen, tonight?" He asked raising his eyebrows cartoonishly.

"She's not working tonight so it's probable."

Damon groaned, "You put way too much on the line for this girl for a probable fuck, I'm sorry." Stefan slammed the refrigerator door. The older brother almost shook in fright at the sound and force. He exclaimed, "You don't get to do that, complain because I have two polarizing wants right now. One of them is to do like 8 lines, no joke and the other is to hoist her one of these walls, any of them I don't care and dig into her senselessly so you just need to shut up."

Placing his hand over his chest he panted, "Well damn, Stefan, first I wanna say sobriety isn't easy especially getting off that shit yourself. I mean, that has to feel like shit. And two," he walked over to him nudging him hard, "I'm sure you guys have done other things than straight penetration, Caroline said those hickeys were low." Stefan raised an eyebrow. How the hell did he know about the Caroline thing, that was 2 weeks ago? She'd be way too embarrassed to repeat what happened in full details.

"I mean," Damon took a step back knowing he would rattle the cage with this one. "How's her head game? Personality alone isn't keeping her around, is it now?"

Taking a sip from his second bottle he responded shortly, "It's fantastic."

Her high died down and Elena was in her night clothes preparing for bed. It felt weird to go to bed at night and wake up in the morning like the rest of the common world. Just as she set her phone on the nightstand she heard it buzz repeatedly. The girl was just now feeling the wearing effects of her special brownies and did not feel like being bothered. Knowing that Katherine personally had it out for her required an extra hour or two of sleep. Sighing in irritation she picked up the phone. Her breathing became irregular seeing that it was him.

"Stefan, hi," she tried hiding her excitement.

"You're not in bed, are you? It's barely just 7:30." He teased, sensing her pick up in attitude.

Elena looked at her bed, biting her lip hiding the huge grin on her face for no one in particular and responded lightly, "Nope, but my bed looks so comfy right now."

"Ah," Stefan said, "Well, do you think you can get over here? I can send my driver to you, I wanted to make your night special."

"Special how so?" She flirted.

He laughed, "I wanna show you the city as you've never seen it before."

Elena told him he could send his driver over her place in 20 minutes and after that fell on top of her bed. She squealed, kicking her legs in the air wildly. It looked silly but she didn't care, her heart beat out of her chest with major anticipation. After her mini jamboree she sat up still with a smile on her face she began looking for an outfit. The young brunette was going to have a fun night and she wasn't going to let not one person ruin it.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Sexually explicit content coming ahead. You've been warned and you're free to skip this chapter if that's not your thing.**

Chapter 7: Release

A typical date for the young brunette would be somewhat reminiscent of hangout with handholds and a kiss depending on how charming the guy was. Back in her hometown, she was asked out frequently by other guys at school. All of them tried different methods to woo her but it was to no avail. There even were rumors of her swinging the other way because of her quiet and aromantic stance. If she had an option, she would never step foot in that high school again dealing with lame boys and busybodies.

"Stefan," she shrieked as they ascended from the ground, "This is not what I thought you meant to see the city."

It was around 10 pm and Elena was on a helicopter with a man. By this time on a regular date for her the anxious boy would be rushing her home fearing the expected stern words from her father if they were out past curfew. Stefan opened the bottle of Moet as quickly as he could with a cork and poured them a glass each. Elena's nose brushed the glass instead of drinking the champagne at once. Giggling, she said, "Even though I love this, I prefer our wine much more." As she drunk, Stefan's jaw clenched. The use of our in that context was not significant but was all at once.

"Do you consider us exclusive?" He asked an open-ended question to see how she was feeling about them.

Setting her glass on the small table beside them she replied, "I mean we spend most of our time together I don't see why not. Sometimes I hate going back home in Brooklyn after work your place is so much closer-" She looked outside of her window seeing that they were officially flying over the city. Stefan scooted over to her gazing at the bright lights, just watching her. Elena could sense his vision on her since his shuffling in position. She tucked some of her hair behind her ear, revealing her diamond hoops. He couldn't help but lean.

"Are these new? Stefan inquired, stroking her ear and then her neck, unnecessarily but she was never one to objectify his touch. Keeping her eyes on upcoming buildings they were about to pass she answered, "Hmm, yes they are. Earlier this week, Bonnie and I went to the stores," his hand was on her thigh, she really couldn't keep her focus on the view or hardly remember what was asked. Elena continued, "Well, I stopped in Dior and got these." She shook her head showing off her earrings.

Stefan took a step back from her, ceasing his light touches and strokes on her skin. "She's good for you," he stated, meekly. Elena turned to face him, "Yeah, she's the best. I didn't think I could make it in this city," she momentarily pointed at the literal city, "And with Bonnie came Jesse who is always fun to be around and helpful. But she was there on account of Katherine, of course, and some weird way I'm _grateful_ for Katherine too, even if she has it out for me for whatever diabolical reason it may be at the moment." He was silent for a while thinking about what the boss lady could possibly want to punish Elena with.

"Does she know about us?"

"No, I don't think so."

If she didn't know about their relationship then someone she did know-Damon must have given her intel. Telling Elena about how far his brother's shopping peaked. She already looked upset thinking about the situation, fidgeting back and forth in her seat. Stefan interlocked his fingers with hers, Elena looked up slowly and caught his tender gaze. She squeezed it and kissed him hard and he responded with greater intensity. Her hands traced alongside his jaw as they paused, attempting to catch their breath. "I wanna go home...with you." She whispered in his ear while his hands grazed the sides of her. Stefan told the pilot to hurry his ass back to ground level.

* * *

The front door was wide open as Elena and Stefan kissed on the nearby wall next to it. "Stefan," she giggled as her back was being pressed against the wall, "The door." She felt his mouth nibbling her neck with much more ardor than on the helicopter. This was the time for them to just be in their own privacy. Stefan who was still buried in her neck hummed, "What about it?"

Elena said in a high voice, "I mean look at it, do you want to give your uptight neighbors a show right now?"

"Maybe," he whispered.

"Stefan," she deadpanned.

Groaning, the blond walked over to the door to shut it close. Stefan turned around his partner but met a blank wall. All he saw were her heels near the start of the hallway. Elena was awful running or walking quickly in heels. He chuckled to himself because he always kept his room door locked. Elena twisted the knob several times before using her nails to unlock it. When she finally got in, she was immediately hoisted up by Stefan. He propelled both of them on his king-sized mattress. "How'd you get in here?" Stefan asked incredulously like he hadn't seen her pick the lock with her own hands.

Elena traced his jawline lightly with her nails, "Oh, I have my ways." They both smiled at one another and kissed rather passionately. Stefan started to take off his shirt while Elena watched, eyes widen in anticipation. He snuck a hand up her shirt, lazily playing with her breast. She rested her hands on his face. "Wait," she almost whispered, "I need you to promise me something." Elena has his full attention, he was nodding.

"I don't want you to look to away from me tonight," she told him, "That night in the limo you couldn't do that because you weren't being honest with me. We're different now and I want to be with you fully."

Stefan took her hand from his face and held it close to his beating heart. He looked deeply in her eyes, "I promise, Elena, I will and I'm sorry because this is real to me." She breathed in and out, feeling the sincerity of his words rattle her insides. She sat up as he pulled up her shirt, revealing her red, lacy bra and torso. Stefan planted kisses on her stomach and said, "I haven't fully made it up to you, yet." She didn't miss the use of the last word and felt his hand itching for the zipper on her skirt. _Whoosh!_ Her bottoms were on his floor in some unknown place and then her underwear.

Elena cursed to the heavens when he used his tongue on her and met her peak not once, not twice but three times. Every time she came, her legs clenched around his head needily and desperately. He left her warmth to kiss her inner thighs, it was glorification at its finest. The young girl was in ecstasy and was mumbling incoherently. Stefan looked up to see her writhing and mumbling on his sheets. "What was that?" He mused. Elena gulped, and finally was able to utter, "Your turn." His pant's zipper was being pulled down.

"No, you're fine, lie down on the bed. _Rilarsse_ ," Stefan commanded.

He threw his jeans somewhere on the floor and then unhooked Elena's bra, slowly dropping it on the head of the bed. They kissed once more; Elena ran her fingers down his torso and asked, "Do you have protection?" He kissed her hand and said, "I'll be right back." Elena pouted when he left the room, it was a complete interruption of the moment they were caught up in. Someone of the two had to be responsible when it came to sex. Stefan came back around 10 minutes later with a box of condoms a glass of water for her.

She drank it quickly, both of her hands grasping the cup. Water trickled down her mouth at the irregular movements of her hands. Stefan opened the box and retrieved one packet out, leaving the box on his nightstand. Elena also set her now empty glass of water on the nightstand and their hands brushed one another.

"Sorry," they both said in unison. Elena closed her eyes, "Okay, I want to continue." That's all it took for her to end up back on her back. His hips rocked into hers, trying to find a steady rhythm for them to ride. She liked the pace they were going and knew that she'd climax again if he kept it up. "Right there," she breathlessly said. As promised his eyes were on hers, staring into them and he saw what she looked like she came. Stefan tried not to smirk but he couldn't help it. He dreamt and thought about this exact moment for weeks now.

She moaned, rolling her eyes back and clenched around him. While she felt snug around him, that wasn't enough for him to actually come. He stopped and Elena was confused. "What's wrong?" He looked away, she put her hands on his face. " _Hey_ , she exclaimed, "Don't look away from me, you promised, please tell me what's wrong." Hesitantly bringing his eyes back to her, he looked at a worried Elena.

"Wrap both of your legs around me."

Stefan's movements quickened inside of her and she cried out his name loudly. It wasn't a senseless ramming like she thought it would be because she felt pleasure too. Their hands interlocked in the top right corner of the bed. They both squeezed the other's hand when they met their apex at the same time. He rolled from on top of her not wanting to crush her small frame. Elena covered herself with his comforter. A few minutes passed and she turned over to see his face. "Did I hurt you?" He asked, worriedly. Besides the feeling of her numb legs, nothing really felt uncomfortable or painful to Elena. "No," she vocalized, "I am completely fine, you did nothing wrong." Stefan signaled for her to come near him to cuddle; Elena breathed in and out going to sleep with a huge grin on her face.

* * *

Damon sluggishly walked into the cafe he was meeting a lady in. He was sporting sunglasses on his face hence his hangover from last night. It was around 6 am and he was sitting in a booth twiddling his thumbs. Damn it, Katherine being hot isn't excusable for being late. The bachelor looked up as he saw heels clacking inside of the place. She smirked while she pulled her seat out. It was almost if she was looking down on him. "Well, you look awful. I woke up looking like my best self this morning." She beamed. Silence, he had no comeback which meant he was really at his lowest.

Sighing, Katherine decided to take pity on him. She told him that she ordered two black coffees for him. Damon snorted, "Thanks, I guess. How come we were at the same function and you managed to keep your drinking steady?" Katherine pulled out her cosmetic mirror, fixing her lipstick and closed it dramatically. "Because you're sloppy, Damon." Rolling his eyes he said, "Please Kat, you're just better at hiding your shit." She looked down, grinning.

"Touche. Now, what did you find out about Stefan and Elena?"

Damon shrugged, "Well, as soon as I get my coffee I'll be in better spirits." Katherine scoffed, "We could have talked about this last night if you weren't so hellbent on getting wasted." There was a certain venom to her voice that he wasn't strong enough to challenge. The barista came with their drinks to which Katherine smiled and thanked them and Damon just nodded off. The worker raised a brow, he looked familiar but they couldn't see his famous blue eyes behind the glasses.

He took some sips of both coffees, it looked entirely gross to Katherine. Damon fanned himself. "Okay, I'm ready to share the info I have for the Caroline info you have." Katherine looked back and forth and finally divulged, "She isn't in Los Angeles for career decisions, there's a man keeping her there." Damon slammed his hand on the table and said, "Don't play with me, Katherine. I can't hold anything over my brother's head if she was the one who stepped out first." It was astonishing how easily the woman got exclusives out of people where he had to pry and beg.

"I am not fucking around Damon. Why do you all think she's so innocent? Like, who leaves their fiance for 5 months, she is in love with that man."

Damon cursed and drunk some more of his coffee. He knew Katherine had more details on that affair but she wouldn't give it all away. He just had to play that same game but with a twist. Sighing, he said in a defeated tone, "Yeah, you're killing their little affair they have going on. Changing her schedule really is pissing Stefan off, he really denied Caroline's advances to take his chances on your girl." Katherine leaned back in her chair, "Hmm, maybe she is good. I love when women make men really work for it." She raised an eyebrow, "Denied Caroline you said? I don't think she let that one out but she was quick to tell me about her and her Englishman."

Damon tried to hold back his smirk. _She actually revealed a detail about Blondie's booty call, so she knows all about him._ Katherine grasped her cup of tea, seeing him bite his tongue. "Everything okay, Damon?" He shook his head, taking off his glasses and smiled as the two gossipped the rest of the hour about Caroline's failed attempt. After the curly haired lady left he sent his brother a text:

 _Kat's off your trail, now. Don't show up to the club and have a driver take your girl home._


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Invite

Elena woke up to his arms around her, his lips kissing her ear and whispering, "Good morning." She broke out of his hold and pounced on him and greeted, "Well, good morning to you." The young girl kisses her lover, grinding her hip against his. Elena giggles into the kiss when she feels Stefan's member poke at her leg.

"Starting out early, huh?" She asked, rubbing against him having a sudden energy boost despite their arduous night together. He was still as a statue, waiting for her finally cease her rolling on top of him so he could make his move. Elena stopped working so hard on top of him and leaned forward to whisper in his ear. "You're tired, Stefan. I knew you couldn't keep up with me since that night in the champagne room where it was just you and m-"

Stefan flipped them over before she could finish her sentence, growling. It was an instant turn on for her and Elena marveled underneath him as he put her hands over his head, she was locked to his bed. She squealed and moaned under his touch, Elena was the perfect prisoner. He was nose deep in her neck and then occasionally grazing her shoulder. "OK, but I have to shower soon."

"Later," he said before inserting his traveling hands down to her underwear, tugging at her robin-colored panties. Elena started to get up to grab protection but was stopped when his hand was around her neck, adding her pressure. She frowned, "What are you-"

She was quieted down when his fingers were inside of, pumping in and out. "You say you wanted to shower, fine, I bet I can get you off in five minutes-give or take." She moaned at every one of his filthy actions, she wasn't going to stop him.

Elena struggled to get out, "Five minutes? Stefan, please-OH." Mission accomplished. Stefan withdrew his fingers from her warmth. Just as about he was going to lick them greedily, the young brunette beat him to it. His eyes widened in astonishment as she licked and sucked on his fingers essentially tasting herself. "Guess you were right." His fingers were rapidly licked clean. He kissed her knuckles. "And I'm never wrong. Go shower, I'm going to make you breakfast." In a hurry, she scooted off his bed in nothing but a bra going to the washroom.

Elena rested her elbow on the kitchen counter and her face was being propped up on her hand as she watched Stefan cook for her shirtless. Bonnie wasn't wrong about him having a hot back. She was in complete awe as he adjusted the temperature of the stove and flipped what looked to be pancakes. Stefan turned around and she jumped as if she was being caught in an act. "See something you like, il mio amore/?" She fixed her hair. "Ah, yes you-I means the food, the food looks very good." Before she knew it a steaming plate was being brought to her.

"So, what do you think?" Stefan asked.

"It's delicious, um, you should definitely think about changing careers." She suggested, stuffing a crepe in her mouth. There was a beep and he walked over to retrieve his coffee. He leaned against the sink, drinking it while she ate.

"So," Stefan poured the rest of his coffee down the sink. He never ever finished a full cup of the caffeinated drink. "My birthday is tomorrow but I wanted to celebrate it this Saturday, with you if you didn't mind."

Elena sat up, smiling, "I'd love to go, but is it just going to be me and you or-?"

Scratching his head, Stefan said, "My brother. Which, I know the three of us doesn't sound exactly sound conventional but my other friend, Lexi is sick with the flu she usually can put him in line during an outing. So, I was thinking you could see if Bonnie would come." He had his fingers crossed for this one, a night of his brother's inappropriate jokes was one he could not sit through. "My Bonnie and from what you have told me your Damon?" Stefan was bracing himself for a hard no when he heard: "Sounds entertaining, I'll call her, she'll be down to put a rich, reckless white boy down a few notches."

He nodded, chuckling to himself about the statement. Elena had finished her food after their brief conversation about the upcoming weekend. She was now sitting on her knees, balancing herself carefully on the stool. "So," she began, "It's your birthday and you don't even sound excited. Do you want anything for the special day?" She sat there in his white button up, the sleeves kept draping over her wrist. He smoothly walked over placing her cheek in his cheek, touching it softly and said, "I have a really, really boring family dinner the next day so your presence is more valuable than a gift." Elena's entire face lit up, she couldn't help but be a fan of flattery.

Bonnie and Elena practically battled in the mirror as one did their eye makeup and the other held a flat iron."Girl, I will burn you, move back," The veteran dancer semi threatened. Elena groaned and moved out of her friend's way. Pulling out her cosmetic mirror she whined, "I miss Jesse." Quietly Bonnie said, "Me too." Their dear friend was in Mexico with their new beau soaking up the sun and good cocktails while they had to prepare for a night out clubbing in cold New York. Elena went into the living room to pick up two outfits from her black bag, needless to say, she and Bonnie went to the mall earlier today.

* * *

"Red or navy blue?"

"You wore red when you two first met so maybe surprise the man a little? You still haven't told me about your risque night with our favorite Salvatore yet you're asking me for fashion advice."

Sighing, Elena put the red outfit back in the bag and hung the navy blue on the door, deciding to change into it when Bonnie left the washroom. She leaned against the door frame. "It was...amazing, no lie. I just don't know where we go from here because...I feel dumb and young like I have no choice other than to fall deeper. Bonnie continued bringing the flat iron to her hair, "Well, that sounds valid. On a scale of 1-10, how amazing was it?"

"My 10 could be like a 5 for him," Elena looked down at her feet. Bonnie set her flat irons down, she was now done with her hair. "Well, I don't want you moping, you need to ask him how he feels and sense if his feelings are as intense as yours." She offered a smile and hugged her friend before leaving the bathroom giving her time to prepare. Elena looked in the mirror, alone, and promised that she would keep her insecurities at bay.

Bonnie shook the seats of the vehicle they were in and broke up the awkward silence.

"Is _the_ limo? I feel like I'm an internal version of Beyonce's Partition video." Damon snickered with his eyebrows waggled as he asked the question. Bonnie entertained his joke by chuckling as well. In a wordless but confirming response, Stefan and Elena deadpanned the both of them. The two were just the best of buds the rest of the ride to the club. Elena let the window down, and read the name of the club. Erotica with a k? Don't tell me what I think this is. She thought. The driver stopped the car and got out to open the door for them. Elena wobbled when she stepped on the pavement, maybe it was from all the people she saw or the fact that she was awful in heels. She felt a pair of hands on her back leading her inside the club. It was Bonnie's hands holding her up as the quartet walked into the club, preferably to the VIP section. "You're awful in heels."

Sitting on top of the club gave Elena a slight feeling of royalty. She had never been a real nightclub before, not one of this caliber at least. All she heard over the blaring music was loud pop noise. Damon laughed, "That's that Moet, baby!" He nudged his brother on the shoulder handing him the bottle. "I'm not chugging that, Damon."

Damon stood up clapping and yelling, "Come on, one time for the birthday boy." Stefan nodded 'no'. The older brother grunted and threw the bottle to his lips. No one really understood why Damon did the things he did, the people around him just learned to accept it. Everyone talked amongst themselves after his obnoxious chugging. Bonnie sprayed her nails along Damon's shirt, "I love this, Damon. This looks like Gucci but it's not in stores, I don't think." His eyes widened in half surprise and in half stimulation. She laughed covering her mouth full of pearly whites.

"Sorry, I'm just so used to touching men, you know I dance, right?"

"As in choreography?"

Stefan and Elena looked at Damon like he had shit on his forehead and then at each other. The bachelor still looked quizzical and he hated being left out. Before a classic Damon fit was thrown, she clarified.

"No, I dance at the club."

"I knew you looked familiar! Infernus was being called when I walked out of the champagne room and I remember you, you were magnificent." Bonnie mouthed a thank you with a cunning smile on her face, then she stood up brushing her pants off. Holding out her hand she directed the black haired man to the to the dancefloor. "Come with me."Damon raised his eyebrows at the other half of their party with a suggestive smirk on his face before leaving. He graciously took her hand walking downstairs.

Elena sighed scooted over towards Stefan, resting her dainty head on his shoulder. "I expected more of a fight, to be honest." Her hand was on his thigh, he held it with his own squeezing it. "Me too, it's like they're equally yoked." Elena laughed and then her laughter turned into a tired sigh. She took her head off his shoulder thinking she was overstepping more boundaries than she already had. "I'm sorry, I am just exhausted from working these past couple days." He turned to face her laid back position.

"Look at me, Elena." She hesitantly looked over at him. "You're exhausted, your health comes first we can leave after they come back or if they ever come back. Stay at my place tonight, please I need to make sure you get some sleep in tonight." Elena was in awe of his caring words and promises and almost said those three words to him. "Stefan. I-, uh, thank you." Those words came out less than confident and very mechanic like so he didn't respond much to them. After some time, Bonnie and Damon didn't come back up so the two just assumed it was right to go head back to Stefan's apartment.

Once the two stepped into his home, Elena yawned stretching her arms. The first thing she took off was her heels, second came her jewelry and lastly was the bobby pins that caused her brown hair to fall over her shoulders and to her mid back. She tried to reach for her bra hook and in her full stamina she could remove it easily but she just couldn't at the moment at 12 something in the morning. "Stefan, do you think you can-" He was already there, unhooking it for her and after doing so massaging her shoulders. She became less tense under his touch and sighed in pleasure as he kissed her neck softly, "Go bathe, it'll help you rest better if you do." He breathed in her perfume, which was a decent Chanel No. 5. He was somewhat sad she was going to have to wash it away.

"I will." She promised quietly. Her actions were contradictory though as she used her hand to keep his head deep in her neck. "Come and join me," Elena said in a gentle, inviting voice. He ceased his kisses and replied, "I will in a bit, I promise. You need this time to yourself." It was his birthday and he was entirely focused on her, she didn't know how to react to the attention she was getting. Elena walked into his bathroom, completely topless, she ran the bath water took off her bottoms and stepped in getting adjusted to the temperature. There was nothing but men's soap and the least harsh flavor was an amber body wash. She had her head back, letting sleepiness and fragrance take over.

She heard Stefan's footsteps hit the bathroom floor and she jumped up, alert. Stepping into the water, Stefan joked, "You asked me to join you and you're falling asleep in the tub." Elena threw her hands up in the air, laughing lightly, "You got me, Elena, the one who can't keep her energy consistent." He shrugged, "You seemed pretty consistent the other night." She hummed, smirking to herself. "So you did enjoy the other night?" He couldn't believe what he was hearing. "You can't be serious, the other night-you know when we had sex to be blunt, was phenomenal and I'm not a bragger but it was for you too."

The young woman looked down, "Sorry, I just-I thought I couldn't live up to the hype, you know being a dancer and all."

Stefan threaded through shallow water to get to her. He caressed her cheek like earlier tonight and kissed her shortly. "Even if there was some nonsensical hype, you over exceeded it. Come on." He lifted her up from the bathtub and she giggled relentlessly realizing that they were nude and wet. "Stefan," she yelped, stifling her laughter. He sat her down on the bed and said, "We still gotta put you to sleep though." She pouted as he walked over to the drawer and started finding some clothes and underwear she might have left there. He threw some at her and she reluctantly put them on.

"Aww, come on, one round?" She asked in a sing-song voice.

"No," he responded slipping on some pajama shorts, "It'll never end with you and me."

Elena countered, "Yes it will, we can be quick like we were the other morning and I get my nightly recommended 8 hours of sleep. Everybody wins."

"One round and that's it?" She nodded, licking her lips.

"Nah, you're going to bed, Goodnight Elena." He began to leave from the room until called his name. "Just lay with me, you know you love cuddling with me too, don't deny it." He sighed in defeat, saying no to her was always difficult. Turning around he said, pointing, he said, "Okay fine, only because you're not wrong." Elena smiled sitting up, patting the empty spot on the bed next to her, reserving it for only him. Once she was in Stefan's embrace, she was able to go blissfully to sleep.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: I'm Just Me

* * *

 **VIRGINIA, A YEAR AGO**

Elena ran all over her house in a frantic state, her face drenched in sweat from the semi-workout she was getting. The last place she finally went to go look for her stashed cash. She groaned in irritation when all she found was lint in the dryer's drawer. The young high-school graduate trudged back up the stairs to confront the person who may have stolen it.

Isobel, her inconsistent mother, was lousy on the couch with snacks surrounding her and cuddled up with her boy toy of the week, However, this particular male seemed to be her favorite flavor. He waved, a deep, playful smirk was etched on his face while her mother lied in his arms not even realizing her adolescent daughter was right there glaring at her,

"Where is my money? And don't tell me you spent all on this crap 'cause this is about 80 dollars and I know that because I work 40 hours every week at grocery store ringing up items." Elena practically yelled, anger radiating in her tone to her drunken parent.

Groaning and breaking out of her lover's hold Isobel lazily threw Elena's money at her saying that she only needed some of it to buy some food and liquor because she couldn't drink without eating first. The brunette sighed not wanting to know how her mother could ever justify her selfish actions. As she bent over to pick up the money, her mother' boyfriend had been eyeing her. Maybe he was being a grade A creep or he felt some type of sympathy for her. Either way, she quickly picked it all up and headed to her room to lock herself in there to sulk in her pillow.

Later in the evening, a male figure appears and begins to knock on her blue, flowery bedroom door. Elena's eyes had been tired and red from the constant crying and rubbing with her knuckles. She still found the courage to get out of bed and open her door, half-hoping it was her mother ready to apologize profusely. Her breath was caught when it was the boy toy with a concerned face, no more of those smirks Elena found to be personally annoying.

She cleared her throat. "Enzo. My mom sent you here to say sorry 'cause she's too drunk off her ass to do it herself, huh?"

Shaking his head the young man replied, "No, not at all, but you are right about one thing she's drunk and can't get up." She started to close her door until he stopped it from shutting him out. In a stern voice, he said, "Hey, don't shut me out. I feel bad, I do. My parents were never there really but you still your mom, she can improve."

Elena bit her lip, trying to stop the tears coming but it failed, her hand let go of the door so that she can wipe the tears from her cheeks. She nearly choked, "I just don't know how a mom would do that to her child, she's just unbelievable." Enzo came inside of her room to pull her into a hug with his arms cradling her head. He wasn't the right or even appropriate person to be hugging her but she needed to be comforted. The two let go and Enzo was brushing off his tear-stained shirt getting ready to leave. She grabbed his hand, "Thank you, Enzo." He smiled warmly at her and then walked back downstairs.

* * *

These hangouts that Elena, Bonnie, and Jesse always had at least twice a week were essential for them. An hour or two, or when their schedule was clear a possible sleepover would occur. Drinks were there to accompany them but they didn't need a beverage to have a good time, all they needed was each other. It was their owed time digress and Bonnie and Elena were ecstatic they were the first people Jesse would go see after his luxurious trip in Mexico. He shook his bare shoulders in a grey tank top and bragged about the glow he got from traveling.

"Back to cold ass New York, it'll go away soon," Bonnie said, bluntly and then sipped her Peach wine.

Jesse stuck his tongue and stopped his shoulder dance. "You're still the same old fiery bitch from when you dropped me off at the airport last week," He sat up and touched her chin, "But there's something different about you."

She scowled and shook his hand off her face rapidly. Sudden, unplanned touche was not her thing. Crossing her arms, she confessed, "I had sex a little bit under," she took out her phone to check the time while Elena and Jesse sat in anticipation. Bonnie beamed, "Just exactly 48 hours ago, _hmm_." The bronze woman kept her eyes glued to her phone opening some type of social media app to pass the time while Jesse squealed.

Elena tried to gasp but she was tipsy so it came out like a hiccup, then that hiccup turned to a laugh. She coudln't be too surprised as she saw how close Bonnie and Damon were the previous night before. Jesse looked at them both with great derision on his face and threw his hands in the air rather loudly.

"I leave for one week and you bitches are being fucked by Salvatores."

Bonnie's eyes left her smartphone to eye directly at him and defended herself. "It was only one meaningless, lusty night while this bitch is actually in love." Her fingers were pointed to Elena who was hiding behind a pillow. Jesse snatched it from her and then closed her eyes tightly and covered her ears. She chanted to herself while Bonnie and Jesse shared an inquisitive look and came closer to corner her into telling them what went wrong.

* * *

PETROVA FIRE, LAST NIGHT

Some idiot must have thought ordering 200 bottles was a good way to impress their friends on a night out at the strip club. The young brunette was taking off her diamond hoops in the common mirror, lightly running her fingers through her hair wishing it was Stefan's instead of her own. Sighing she removed them and began to get up when a manager startled her and handed Elena bunny ears a furry two-piece, she took it begrudgingly. They could walk in on them at any time because they were considered employees like the dancers. Fortunately for the girls, the managers were never creepy so when they came in the back room it was strictly business.

"Sorry. Outfit change, we have special customers tonight and the boss lady just wants to spice it up for the bottle girls, that's if you make it in that room they'll be in." He walked out so that she could change. Her bra and panties were a light pink color that was eerily childlike but her figure, especially her chest looked damn good enough to tip so she couldn't complain. When she walked out the breakroom onto the floor she was welcomed by hollering of her name. It meant nothing to her if no one was paying her, it's what Bonnie had been telling her for the longest and it finally applied to her as she walked by ogling men. Some threw money at her and she was thankful.

As she was bent over picking up her money someone slapped her ass, she stood up with rage ready to go off just to see it was just Aquarius, aka Tiki. Elena could relax, it wasn't some old man.

"Damn, girl all you did was walk out, I'm jealous, it's just not fair, Treasure," Aquarius said, incredulously. All Elena could do was shrug with a smile, she was being pulled by her co-worker.

"You have to help me deliver some of these bottles, I need your self-given whore aura with me." Elena laughed at the 'whore' part, everyone in the backroom who didn't like her tried to use it against her until one day she claimed the word and they had no choice but to shut up. The duo walked in locked arms and Aquarius spoke in Elena's ear, "I heard there are rappers and producers in this joint, but we have to get a drink first." She laughed as they walked to the bar.

Elena promised herself one shot but she did 3 and got woozy. She wiped the sweat off her forehead while Aquarius looked physically fine. She held Elena up and asked the bartender for two sticks of gum. "After we chew this gum, we are going to bring those damn bottles to the room," Aquarius instructed. Elena chewed quickly and in her rush, she swallowed her gum. She slapped her head and started ranting.

"Ugh, sorry I drunk more than what I needed. I just miss him like so much and I need to get over it and I just miss him, okay? It's okay to miss him, right?"

Aquarius felt the girl's pain of missing someone because of the burden of working at this club. They walked to the bottle room to retrieve the champagne. Once again they locked arms and Aquaris opened up about a similar ordeal.

"I have to leave my son at my mother's home while I come here to do this," she pointed to the pole, "I know I made my mistakes in school and stuff but I'm doing this for him. You know he's growing up in the same busted neighborhood I am, my mother is never moving outta that place until God himself strikes her down." Elena laughed, sharing a moment to herself about her own mom. "But," the young mom said, "I pay for his tuition at St. John's I'll be damned if he went to that school I did and deals drugs and commits to a gang. He will never mirror his father's or my mistakes." Elena teared up, sobering up at the information Aquarius just revealed.

She hugged her telling her she was doing the right thing and when they broke out of the embrace the two saw that they were right in front of the bottle room. Elena had about 5 bottles on her platter and so did her companion. When they walked in the room they saw at least 10 people in there. The number of men outweighed the women but they were still fierce, making their presence known in the room.

Elena and Aquarius put on their best seductive attitudes as they brought the bottles over. One of the guys had been eyeing Elena. She felt uneasy, wishing she had stayed her ass on the floor. It looked like he was trying to uncover something about her.

"You're Stefan's girl from that video and I saw you two at the club the other night." He finally figured it out.

Elena laughed it off and insisted it wasn't her and dragged Aquarius out of the room.

"We didn't even get a tip, Treasure what the hell was that? I mean, I thought everyone knew you two were involved."

"Not everyone," Elena gritted through her pearly whites, "I can't having customers thinking I'm not available." It was a semi-lie, but it worked enough for Aquarius to stop her questioning. They went back to work the floor and Elena didn't get out until 5 am. She rubbed her eyes tiredly as she walked in the breakroom to change into her pajamas. With nothing but her bottoms on, Katherine stepped in the room leaning against the door frame with her arms crossed.

"Nice," she complimented or at least that was the most compliment that Elena would get out of the woman. "Wish my titties still sat up like that." She was like a younger version of Katherine, physically. But Katherine didn't know quite yet if she had that spark in her. Elena half smiled and threw on her shirt in a hurry not wanting to be in a room alone with her boss for more than 5 minutes. Katherine left the door and walked into the room.

"So, I assumed you did all your tipping out. How much did you make if you don't mind me asking," Katherine said the last one with a smirk, knowing her asking such a question would annoy Elena.

"3600." Elena said without hesitiation, she was proud of her earnings,

"See I knew you had it in you, so your regular earning are probably close to 2000 a night after tipping, huh. Maybe you are a good investment." Elena nodded, pursing her lips keeping the conversation light even with the woman presiding over her's slick comments. Besides, she was tired and wanted to go jump her bed. Just as she was grabbing her bag and her purse Katherine walked over to her and placed her hand on Elena's now clothed shoulder, "You don't need him, you're proving that more and more every day here."

Elena felt something rise in her chest, anxiety it was. She pushed it that aside from the best way she could and brushed Katherine's hand off her.

"I have no idea what you're talking about, that ended after our talk after the video went viral."

Katherine hit the locker, a tactic to startle the young dancer, there was no one else in the room with them so it sounded thunderous.

"Do not play with me, little girl. You're in my club thinking you can get away with lying to my face." Elena stood still not letting her guard down while Katherine continued to antagonize her. She walked around in a lopsided circle laughing to herself. "I could have had ignored the same, continuous limo driver showing up at my club everytime you worked miraculously because all types of people visit here. Hell, I could have ignored your sudden boost in attitude and credited it to your emerging personality from whatever the fuck it may have stemmed from. But, what gave it away was that damned Damon, his obvious smirk kept gnawing at me like he knew something I didn't. I don't like being the last bitch to know, that spot is reserved for you, actually."

Elena bit her lips, looking down at floor even that looked comfortable at the moment her body was about to give out. Her mind, however, was fully alert. Katherine's words stung and the next ones would burn.

"It's such a shame you're in love with a man who's just eons ahead of you; financially, educationally and even emotionally." She stopped her circling to face Elena, who brought her face from the floor to return the look, "And the worst part is, he'll never be yours really. Damon, before he switched sides, says that Stefan is lashing out and you just might the greatest form of rebellion. Still going out at night to go see his whore."

"I am. I chose that word and I'm still praying the price for saying it," is all the Elena said, surprisingly calmly and grabbed all of her belongings forcefully and stormed out.

Jesse was on the edge of his seat, he knew how petty Katherine could get from the stories Bonnie told him but this just was a brutally assassination of one's confidence. Bonnie sighed and sipped her wine some more, this situation would not bring her premature grey hairs. Elena was about to reach for another pour when the both of them stopped her from doing so. She groaned half-annoyed they were patrolling her alcohol intake, "Everything she said was true but that 'he'll never be yours part.' What the hell does that mean?"

"Maybe we need to do an investigation, an app I call Instagram." In an instant Jesse had pulled up Stefan's profile. He wasn't an active user so there wasn't any major scrolling he had to do. Then, he saw something and showed it to his friend. Elena squinted at the photo. Stefan and some blonde well, evidently, looking like a couple, this looks Valentine's Day-ish. Bonnie spoke up, speaking for Elena since she seemed to be in her own mind, "Click on her profile, she's probably tagged. They could have already broken up already." Jesse was already on it. In a short amount of time he found out her name was Caroline, she had a degree in Journalism, was bi-coastal from LA to NYC and loved cats and Stefan Salvatore apparently.

The two's last photo on her page was posted in August, seems to be some kind of throwback captioning that she's missing summer with him. Jesse even looked at the likes seeing that Stefan's was there too as well as a comment agreeing that he would too. Then, a new video appeared as he was lurking her page a video of a family wishing Stefan happy birthday. Someone must have had Caroline's phone because she was feeding him a cake and he even kissed her cheek for the cameras. The caption revealed that they celebrated last night and that she made her decision to stay in New York for the holidays. Jesse slid the phone to Bonnie so that she could take in what all he just found out.

It was like they were playing catch right over Elena's head and she hated it. She reached out for the phone waiting for Bonnie to hand it over. Finding out that you're the jump-off wasn't a pleasant feeling and it was her worst fear. Elena was banking on that the two had split up. Jesse just shook his head, he felt for the girl he was going to watch her heart shatter in a million pieces.

"You're not going to like what you see if I give you this phone," Bonnie stated calmly to her friend.

"I can handle it, Bonnie," Elena countered in that same calm tone.

"Elena, Stefan's engaged."


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Honeymoon Phaze

 _"The chaos of you, you and me."_

Stefan didn't realize how the fast the night could change. A mundane family dinner went to Caroline loudly announcing she was returning to New York permanently. She thought moving back could rid the feelings she had for her British man back on the west coast. However, it was the contrary because Stefan looked at her confusedly. Relationships are supposed to have communication, at least for it to succeed. He and Caroline were failing that miserably and the spark had left a long time ago. She left because of it and he let her because he couldn't admit that they failed.

Birthday cake and cameras were being literally and actually stuffed in his face. Knowing this was being posted on to social media he just chose to play up the happiness of the moment. After all of that, he asked if he could whisk Caroline away to which everyone else cheered. Her laughing had quieted down when she saw the stern look on Stefan's face.

"Caroline, you didn't tell me you were staying before," he stated.

"Well, I just thought it would be good to come back permanently. We," she grabbed his hands at an attempt to break him out of his stoic state, "need to work on us. It's not too late."

Stefan gently removed her hand from his and crossed his arms. He looked around his old bedroom, it was as if it never changed.

"I think I'm going to start distancing myself from my family, this isn't me anymore. And we've been over, I am just so sick of pretending and everyone expecting me to be the good son, the good boyfriend, the good brother."

Caroline gasped, that wasn't the response she wanted to hear but it was one she secretly needed. There was no immediate apology afterward so this would be final between the two of them. "I didn't know you felt that way, Stefan. You never told me- I, we just don't have those kinds of talks anymore." He looked down at the shiny, wooden floor. "Yeah, because you're one of those people and it only intensified when we got together romantically." She sighed and sat down at the computer chair at his desk he commonly used to get school work done. Once upon time ago, this man was all hers.

"So, what now? I just retake my statement and halt my unwanted ass back to LA?" There was bitterness to her short laugh.

"I never said the friendship was over, you still have me." He countered.

"But just not in that way. In an alternate universe, if she didn't exist and I was able to let go of my unrealistic expectations of you and you really tried to make us work, would you? And don't you dare say it isn't about her because I know it is."

He looked at Caroline directly and answered, "In those circumstances, I would."

The blonde's mind was in a frenzy; how the hell could he say that so honestly to her? She knew she was way too pretty to be crying over any man so the only emotion she clung onto was anger. Caroline stood up, tall in her black Louboutins. She placed her right hand on her hip and used her left to express her emotions.

"Why her?" The woman questioned. "You're choosing her over me."

"It isn't like that, Caroline..."

It seemed to be exactly like that. Which is why she left, for good this time. Finally, Caroline said, her back facing him and her face headed to the world. She had to disappoint Lily once again about not staying in the city or even at their home away from it.

"I'm not your Lexi, Stefan. When the engagement was brought up I thought I could have all of you and when you proposed to me well, I knew or at least thought I did have you completely. These days, I can't even _get_ half of you."

With that, she walked away not looking back.

* * *

7 days were an incentive for Elena. For that week, she was suspended from Petrova Fire. She couldn't cook so opted for takeout food. She found cleaning to be tedious so she always put that last to do. Her friends were tied up so he couldn't call them so she sat at home thinking to herself. Trying to avoid thinking about Stefan. Elena failed time and time again, she hadn't heard from him in a week or so.

On the last day of her suspension, Elena just wanted to get drunk, and considering what was in her cabinet that wouldn't be a hard task. So, that's exactly what she did. Picking up her phone she checked foolishly if he ever texted.

"Hi, Elena I haven't talked to you because well, I have a fiance! Who's actually got her shit together and is loved by super-rich family, so byez!" She exclaimed in the lonesome in her apartment. She then opened a taxi app, deciding that she go pay her favorite husband to be a visit. Elena stumbled into the car, laughing on the way telling the driver a very condensed story on her and Stefan claiming that she was an ex he left behind for some blonde. The man didn't respond much to her other than a few light laughs here and there. She tipped the driver carelessly and thanked him for being a listening ear and getting her to her destination safely.

Giggling, she walked upstairs trying not to draw more attention to herself than she already did. Elena wore a peach floor length robe. It was something the king's wife would wear but underneath it was what he reserved for his whore. She loved the polarizing ideas of it even if she was heavily intoxicated. Her knocking on Stefan's door was rather loud and unruly, the whole apartment probably heard Elena.

"Come on, Stefan let me in it's me, Elena," she said in a sing-song voice. He opened the door once she was going to prepare to say it for a second time. When she got into the apartment she looked around while he shut the door.

"Just make yourself right at home," he told her in a sarcastic tone.

"Is she here? You know your wife." Elena dropped her robe, rotating giving her lingerie a perfect reveal.

"She's not my wife," Stefan stated coldly. She walked over to him. placing her hand over his chest trying to feel how fast his heart was beating. "You like?" Elena teased, drawing circles with her finger on his chest. He grabbed it and interlocked it with his own to stop her drunken attempts of trying to seduce him.

"You're drunk."

He didn't even need to be that close to him for him to be aware of her intoxicated state. The slurred speech, inability to stand up, and finally her breath. It filled her mouth. Elena laughed, turning around. "So, you've been ignoring me to be with her finally? I know what we have isn't exactly," she paused and saw that her peach colored robe was still on the floor spread out like a wave. She breathed in and then out returning her gaze to him, almost teary-eyed, "You lied to me, Stefan."

Stefan walked over to Elena, kneeling to her and hugging her legs, and she gasped in confusion. Him being beneath her begging for her forgiveness was a sight. His murmurs into her skin saying how sorry he was, Elen's face was pained as she stroked his hair feeling his sorrow desperation in her bones. Elena then remembered she was the last person to find out he was engaged even though as if now as he was in between her legs he was insisting that he wasn't.

"Okay, get up," Elena instructed, and he did. She put her hands on Stefan's face, her thumbs stroking his cheeks and then his jaw. There was this wordless communication spoken through eyes, it was wonderous. Elena kissed the man in front of her slowly and backed away from him with tears in her eyes, covering her mouth.

"Oh, my God."

"Elena, please don't go, don't turn away from me,"

"You did it to me," she exclaimed, "shut me out for the entire week just to figure out what you want. I don't get grace periods like that. I have to make hard decisions on the spot."

"I was selfish this past week, I was not here for you this past week and' I'm sorry, I am. But, I know what I want and it's _you_ , Elena."

His hands were around her waist and his chin was resting her shoulder. Elena closed her eyes loving the security of his warm arms in his warm home comforting her. All she heard was the clock ticking their steady breathing against one another. Elena simply said, "The problem is, Stefan, is that our feelings don't match up for one another." She broke away from him not wanting to practically sense the drop in energy he was giving her.

"You're infatuated and I'm in love."

Before Stefan could react, someone came announced. The man had been a metaphorical bel saver. It was none other than Damon, who had a quizzical look on his face. "Bd time or...?" No response, neither of them feel like talking much.

"Since no one is talking to me nor kicking me out I'll just tell you my dilemma: Bonnie has not texted and it's been eight days. I don't wanna be the last message on her phone."

Elena pinched her nose and sighed picking her robe to put it on. This was going to be a long night. Damon being the last message just meant, he had been left on read. Something that simple had been a huge hit tp his ego. But what did the two had shared is tht both the people they'd slept with had been essentially ignoring them. The brunette simply explained tonhim that Bonnie was a busy woman and wouldn't be so eager to text him back considering his track record and her schedule.

Damon bragged about the sex and Stefan wished that he could just turn his ears off from his brother's cockiness just for that moment. Elena couldn't help but snicker, Bonnie hadn't even mentioned it more than twice and usually her or Jesse had to pry it out of her.

"What's the laugh for?"

"Nothing, Damon. you're making my night here."

The raven haired man observed his surroundings, this didn't look like a spontaneous hookup despite Elena's little black get up. "So, I walked in on a fight and not a fuck session?" The statement should have made the girl want to go hide in the corner. But she was confident in her body and knew no one could ever make her feel ashamed of that. "Use your imagination,'" she mused, "Could be both, you know?" Maybe that was the alcohol still talking.

Annoyed, Stefan groaned telling his brother he needed to go home. Damon shurgged, and before he was getting ready to leave, Elena stopped him telling him that she needed to go home. He was confused at his brother's lack of interjection. _That fight must have been bad._ Elena didn't say a word to Stefan so that confirmed it for me. When they stepped in his Corvette she told him her adresss and he put it in his GPS.

Elena liked his car, it was fast and attractive but it sat too low for her and it made too much noise. It was like it was spefically made for Damon himself. She put on her seatbelt for strictly safety purposes because of the amount of miles he was driving.

"I know you said that I need to text Bonnie first but.."

"No buts, Damon. You like her, you text her first. The most I can do is put in good word for you."

"You'd do that for me, huh?"

"You're not secretly engaged. Just Bonnie's - or almost anyone's type."

 _Yikes, she found out about Caroline faster than I thought. Maybe she really is done with my brother._ Damon smoothly nodded as the light turned green and he was finally near the girl's questionable neighborhood. Just because Stefan fucked up didn't mean he would lose his greatest connection to the bronze goddes who raided his dreams. He saw the night people, which was in itself nicely defined name for them, gawking at his car and making very loud noises towards it and him. If Elena had given him a warning, he would have called his security prior to dropping him off. Still, he waited until she got to her floor and the light in her living room signaled she got in her place safely and with that the playboy got the hell out of dodge.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: Maybe There Is A Tunnel

After Elena's sudden, and seemingly random advocates for the young playboy, Bonnie finally texted Damon back. They'd gone on a few dates, there was occasional sex afterward depending on how in the mood Bonnie was, which she usually was but nothing too heavy and she liked it that way. Elena was envious, not of them, because it was good seeing her friend happy and Damon walking on the straight line for now. The 19-year-old wanted the no strings attached, an apathetic attitude like her friend.

The next day, she went back to work and she couldn't afford to debut her heartbroken state there. It was like the girls in the club could smell blood and she wasn't going to open any wounds for them. So, every morning she cried herself to sleep and she didn't wake up until 5 pm when she had to get ready to step out into the cold fall air again and catch a train to Lower Manhattan. It was a cold punishment, being suspended for a week and then being forced to be worked 10 days straight. On top of that, it seemed like Bonnie had been going to work less since they rarely had shifts together anymore.

On the tenth day, Elena decided her crying over him was officially over. She even offered kind words to Katherine after her shift was over. It was a short walk to her boss's office.

"Thank you for telling me about him. I clearly missed the signs and my judgment was clouded over-"

"Lust. Packaged in a nice chivalrous, it's the Stefan Salvatore way I guess. At least with you." Katherine interrupted, while her manicured nails typed away on her computer, multitasking with the young girl. Sighing, she cracked her knuckles and looked at her lookalike leaning on the doorframe in her plaid pajamas. It was 4 am. Time seemed so unimportant at the club, all that mattered was the money being made. Katherine smirked to herself, the week of suspension plus the returning schedule for Elena had definitely humbled her.

"Do you think, that girl, I think her name is Caroline or something," Elena looked down twiddling her thumbs, "Knows who I am?"

The question almost had caught Katherine off guard, since she still was in contact with that very blonde. Clearing her throat and tearing her eyes from her computer to look at Elena sincerely and almost pity. "Oh, sweetie, men don't like to report who their side piece is to their girlfriend unless she really is grilling him for it." She didn't recall if Caroline had this incessant need to find out who Stefan was screwing, she just wanted Elena to stop her public outbursts.

Elena explained that her questions concerning the woman had stemmed from Stefan telling her that they'd broken up. Katherine nodded understandably, then Elena began drawing her own conclusion.

"So, after he wouldn't tell her who I was, even after her insisting, she was the one of ended it. Then, when I came over, God it was me who caved he decides that he wants to be with me. Me, the last, dirty choice. Wow, he really is a sorry ass son-of-a-bitch."

Katherine wide-eyed, she wasn't expecting all of that opening up from Elena, to her especially of all people. Elena walked over from the doorframe to give Katherine a hug and thanked her. The curly haired woman offered her smiles and told her worker that her gut was always right. Elena walked off, confused not knowing what the statement fully meant but still appreciated her time. Katherine spun around in her chair happily, she truly had a skillful mind. The temptress knew who broke up with who because of Caroline's trust in her to divulge the deepest secrets of her life. And she single-handly killed any hope Elena had for the young Salvatore

"Elena, I don't if your tongue was more into that bottle you just downed or that guy," Bonnie said, holding her friend's wobbling state as they were leaving the nightclub. Jesse, was on the other end of the drunken, young girl focused on her hair that he spent hours perfecting just some for a guy to run his fingers through it and fist it. To say the least, he was pissed.

"Jesse, what's wrong? Live a little!" The brunette giggled after exclaiming her last sentence.

"Look, I am all for you getting him of your mental but you kind of have a drinking-" Since guiding Elena out the door required so much if not all of their shared attention the three of them bumped into security and quickly said their sorrys. Well, Elena was too drunk to form a coherent and sincere apology, so she just stayed silent until they walked out of the club. When they got out, she started guffawing.

"Those guys they were so macho like," Elena began walking around like she had an outrageous amount of rage and muscle and not knowing how to distribute the two. "Like so stupid, you know? Fucking dweebs."

Jesse and Bonnie looked at each other, then at their unstable friend with worry. Bonnie sighed and walked over to the curb to pull Elena back to the sidewalk. Placing her hands on Elena's shoulders and shaking slightly, she asked her where she was and Elena answered correctly.

"Okay, Elena, why are you here?"

"I mean, I wanted to spend time with you guys. Thanksgiving is coming up we won't get moments like this."

Elena was spewing bullshit, to be frank. They never spent time with their families, ever. All they had was each other and that the substitution of the family itself.

"No, you want to drink him away and we can't let you do that, not alone at least. I'm scared of how far you'll go if you're just by yourself."

Jesse stayed quiet watching the two interact, they'd established a bond way before him so he didn't want to intervene just yet. And honestly Bonnie looked about this close to crying when he's seen her in years. Elena threw her hands up, eyes looking towards the sky because she didn't want to ruin her makeup more than she already did if tears cascaded her cheeks.

"I don't need you two chaperoning me, at all and you can say his name - Stefan. Stefan doesn't want to be with me. Stefan is the reason I got suspended for a week. Stefan doesn't have a modicum of the same feelings I have for him for me. Stefan forgot I existed for a week. You told me I deserved better and I ended it. He lied to me and I wish this heartbroken stage could just end brutally as it started. So, excuse me if I have a drink or two and drunkenly make out with cute guys at the bar to speed up the process."

As Elena started to walk away Jesse called after her. Bonnie stood with her arms crossed, looking at the young girl's petite figure growing less visible as she walked further from the entrance of the club. Jesse pointed at her walking away and questioned loudly, "That's it? You're letting that girl walk away she's young and in pain." He said the last part with apprehension dripping in his voice.

"So are we," Bonnie roared, "We're young too. I'm tired of protecting Elena, she's a big girl and she made it abundantly clear that she doesn't my or your help even."

"Bonnie, she's literally walking around Manhattan drunk! I can't believe you just said that."

Bonnie looked down at her phone, a notification appeared on her phone. Her ride was coming soon. "Go look for her, then. I'll be home in my very toasty bed." A Corvette pulled up, it was none other than Damon. Jesse looked at Bonnie and teased, "Sure about that sis?" Bonnie rolled her eyes and began to walk towards the car. Jesse beat her to it, running towards the black vehicle.

"Me and Bonnie have been looking for Elena the whole night, we really need your help finding her," Jesse lied quickly and out of breath. Cardio was not for him, he was about to cough up a lung from all that sprinting. The messages Bonnie sent him didn't even add up to what Jesse was talking about but he still ushered him in any way. Elena could be missing he didn't see a complete trio and could concur Bonnie was being stubborn about something.

"Let your seat up, babe, he has to get in," Damon gritted through his teeth. It was cold as hell outside and his heat was escaping from the vents.

Jesse smirked, "Right, 'babe' let the seat up for me."

Bonnie reluctantly pulled the lever and Jesse was able to sit down. Once she was in her seat she said icily, "What did I say about pet names?" Damon grabbed her face and squished her cheeks, all cutesy like. "Shut up, you love it." Bonnie frowned shaking out of his hold and looked towards the window to hide her blush. She didn't want to admit it was refreshing to be put her in place. Damon saw in his rearview that Jesse had his phone out.

"Hey! Are you taking pictures back there?" He questioned Jesse.

"Boy, who the hell you think I am, Elena? Even she didn't have a camera out when she was in the seat doing-"

"Enough," Bonnie interrupted, "We need to find her ASAP. You were right, Jesse, she's drunk and is hurting, I can't let her do this alone."

On the drive around the area, Jesse ran his fingers through the leather seats, they were heated and very comfortable. Then, he had flashbacks back to Mexico where it was actually warm all season long and began to pout. The things he went through emotionally to be Elena's friend was exhausting in a way. Averting his mind from that, he latched on to something less trivial.

"Oh my god, is that the next season Gucci?" Jesse squealed, looking at the car mirror on Damon's side, staring at his shirt. Damon smirked and happily confirmed that it was and the two talked about various high end designers. All while Bonnie looked like her eyeballs were about collapse. She placed her hands on her head, frustratedly.

"I am getting physically sick in this car, the amount of yelling I'm seeing right now is killing, please pull over or I will jump in that driver seat myself-"

"Ooh, babe love when you talk dirty. I'm already on it."

Damon parked crookedly alongside an uniportant curb. When they all got out, Jesse streched and began doing a series of jumping jacks. The excercise was to keep him warm in the windy weather but it just earned him quizzical looks from people who passed them by. Nothing he did would mke anyone stop fully, they would just assume he was a hype or something to that nature. Bonnie had her back on the car, arms crossed and her eyes pointed at her Jimmy Choos - a brand Katherine reccomemnded to her.

Noticing her weary demanour, Damon smoothly walked towards her, placing his hands on Bonnie's hips. She looked up at him and offered a faint smile.

"Where would you rather be right?"

"I would rather be in the tub, just soaking with a blunt to my lips. The water has to be super soapy though." Bonnie was so picture friendly, everything had to have a disticnt image in her head or she would lose her mind. Damon laughed, licking his lips, "So where do I fit in? I am pretty sure it's my place we're talking about here so.."

"Boy, you have not seen my apartment," Bonnie deadpanned. She drew circles on his navy blue shirt and said lowly and dragged out her words, "But, you're in this vision right near me, our hands are so close as you hand me my blunt and walk out the room because you hate the smell." She was right, it always brought an unpleasing odor and he never understood the joys of getting high for non party purposes. Bonnie would never admit it, but it frigthneed her, their domesticity. It was the main reason why she vowed to never let the playboy in her house. Visions were okay, though.

Damon tightened up his grip on her hips and occasionally squeezed her backside. "Well, after your blunt and bath, I'll be waiting for you in the bedroom of course and you're going to come out dripping wet and butt-ass naked-"

"Oh my god, please take your heterosexuality somewhere else. This city endless just go!" Jesse blurted.

Bonnie yelled over Damon's shoulder, angrily, "How about you mind your damn buinsess and continue prancing around like a damn crackhead, Jesse."

"Yeah, what she said," Damon added, unecesarily causing Bonnie to stare up at him with a frown.

Jesse gasped, placing his hand over his chest feeling as though he had been shot twice. "Well, excuse me if I have to use different methods to stay warm," he stared at their close embrace. The man could be at home with his special someone if hadn't been stuck on Elena duty. Jesse continued, "Methods that are very legal by the way."

"Disturbing the peace," Bonnie shot back.

"We're outside of a fucking 7-11. What peace am I interrupting again?"

In a flash, paparazzi was there taking photos. Damon cursed in italian. They walked almost near his car shoving their very expensive camera in the couple's direction. Bonnie whispered to him but it was nothing they could do unless they'd been granted a power of superspeed. The Salvatore had been caught through and through. A series of questions followed.

"Damon, Damon Salvatore, how are you tonight, buddy?"

"Dipped in Gucci, again, I see. You look great tonight."

"I heard there are words of them signing you? Would you want to step away from your own family line to promote Gucci?"

"Where's Stefan? He's been lower than he should be on our radar lately."

"Nice arm candy you got there, Damon. Want to confirm anything?"

"She's a new flavor, too!"

This was when Bonnie drew the line. She was not anyone's flavor or fetish. Pushing Damon aside, she was compeltely facing the man who said the tone deaf comment. "Excuse me, could you make yourself sound any less idiotic in this moment?" The cameraman got all nervous, paparazzis provoked people more than anything but they were scared shitless of inevitable confrontation.

"Uh, it's just that we are used to seeing Damon with a _type._ Blonde, goregoues, model type, and typically fairskinned."

He spoke too long and said the wrong things because Bonie was chucking a shoe at him and then another that caputlatred itself through the 7-Eleven's window. Jesse ran towards the car, going to jail tonight was not on his to-do list. Bonnie followed soon after, which left Damon alone with paparazzi to deal.

"Go home or back to your offices, I frankly don't give a shit! I have to write a damn check for that. Nothing special is happening." And the infamous photographers ran off.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12: Old Flame

Stefan's routine post-Elena/Treasure spilt/break/termination of their undefined relationship was quite. Eat, sleep, drink, shower, then repeat. He didn't cook through, cooking required passion and he just didn't care what he put in his body. Staying at home seemed like his best option since all his bridges. So, breaking things off with Caroline in hopes of being with his beloved Treasure wasn't perhaps the best defense. Klaus inviting him to his literal golden penthouse was like a Godsend.

The two of friends were surrounded by booze, women, and drugs in that order. The women, who were scantily clad and some went topless because of the number of party favors they had taken, graciously as it were nutritionally good for them. One girl had been tapping on her friend's shoulder so that she could have her turn with the delicious white on Security were on the wall just in case one of the girls couldn't handle their alcohol. Believe it or not, it happened to the British brute before and he had to take matters into his own hands.

It was safe to say that the women who accompanied them were on their best behavior. Just to mess with them, he ordered one of them to stop the music. When the girls stopped their dancing, Klaus roared, "Why'd you lot stop your dancing? Continue your dancing," he brushed Stefan's shoulder, "My friend and I want to be entertained - music on or off."

They quietly went back to dancing mute it was sad almost they would do just about anything to get their high. Klaus smiled poured himself a glass of whiskey. Stefan just stared in awe at his surroundings. This place was twice as big than his apartment, and it still didn't hold as many secrets. Maybe it was the vastness of Klaus' penthouse, even with his strict no cell phone policy people knew it was a crash place for whenever he felt like coming back to the east coast. Out of all the places in that place and Klaus chose the living room it was so central and open.

Klaus talked about his ventures in California and how he lost over 250,000 in Vegas resulting in his ejection from the club. Of course, he conveniently left out his affair with Caroline, he was half hoping that she broke up with him in chances of being with him instead. Stefan knew that he had ties in moving massive weight, he never questioned or judged. Klaus and Stefan met in university, Klaus was a junior and it was Stefan's first year starting as a first semester sophomore.

After finding Klaus dealt drugs, Damon tried to separate the two but failed. He always thought it was a dirty business and wanted his little brother to stay away from it and more importantly Klaus. Ending talking about himself for so long, Klaus began to ask about his old friend.

"So, we've talked about the breakup already as dreadful as it is, but how are you feeling, mate? I have all the comfort here and a listening ear if needed."

Stefan stood up and walked in a circle with his left hand in his hair and said exasperatedly, "Okay, I am going to tell you the exact root of why I and Caroline are really done for." Klaus, very intrigued, leaned forward with his hands now free. He practically slammed his glass down after his friend's statement.

"Well, do tell. We do not shame nor do we judge here."

Stefan assumed the 'we' part meant the women in the room but they were too high to retain anything he said or was about to say. Stefan took off his blazer, it felt like the temperature was rising in the room and the openness of it suddenly turned into the walls closing in on him. Klaus was able to pick up on his instability.

"Ladies, assist this man, please."

Two women came to Stefan's aid and sat him back on the couch. They were both skinny and blonde _. I didn't need this of feminine attention and also zero points for diversity, Klaus_ , Stefan thought. One woman was sitting on his lap, touching his shoulder, and then his biceps since his skin was exposed and the other blonde was on her knees touching his face. Any other guy would kill to be in his position. Sensing his slight discomfort, Klaus ordered the two stick figured women to go away and to go in a corner for all he cared.

"Now," Klaus said in a soft voice, "Do tell, my friend."

"Shit, where do I begin? It's November, going on December now, so maybe I met this girl in early September or late August."

"Girl, you said?"

There's always a woman.

"Yes, Klaus, a girl who works at Katherine's club in the city. I bumped into her and it was dark, you can't see much in a strip club unless the lights are on you for that one second and she caught that second. I mean, we, caught that moment it sounds mad corny but it was really a great first moment. It didn't last long, Katherine caught us midgaze. Apparently, 'Treasure' wasn't supposed to be there."

Klaus leaned back, he was taking in a whole log of information. He folded his hands, "So, then what did Katherine fire her?" The man was no stranger to the vixen's shortness of geniality. The women were still dancing around them, and the two Klaus mildly punished were sitting quietly in the corner with their legs crossed.

"She still dances there, all Katherine did was embarrass her and cause her to run out of the room. I went after even though warned me not to and that Treasure was no one's Cinderella."

Klaus chuckled, "Sounds like something she would say. You went after your treasure you said? I guess that's you guys got your start.."

Stefan nodded, "She raided my dreams and I just couldn't stop thinking about her - I still can't. The thing is when I went to go visit her I couldn't touch her. God, it was awful but in a way it-"

"Made you want her even more, you're a man, you can say it," Klaus added.

"Yes," Stefan reluctantly said, "It was like she was my dirty habit. Treasure and I are complicated, to say the least. It's too much to actually break down."

Klaus understood how difficult it was for the former college student to open up especially about something contentious as this. However, he needed the full context of Stefan and his treasure or Treasure to analyze why Caroline felt the way she did the last weeks she did spend in Los Angeles with him. She would never admit another woman was beating her at her own game.

Stefan caught Klaus up to speed about everything. The propositioning money for sex and her hurt reaction, their date at Coney Island that ended in his limo. He tried to tell the limo story in the most respectful way but nothing about what happened back there was holy or sacred. Klaus was extremely appalled. Then he brushed on the paparazzi and the meeting that came after.

"You left dear old Caroline in the Hamptons to go see your precious Treasure in the city. Too much damn work and it makes me appreciate the novelty of being single much, much more. Continue, please."

"So, the two of came into an agreement in that diner. I told her I wanted to keep seeing her and we did just that until 3 weeks ago. I am a hundred percent sure Katherine told her about Caroline. She went to my house drunk, wearing this exquisite lingerie but she was drunk and crying and confronting me, it was an absolute mess. I didn't mean to cut her off for a week but I needed time alone."

"Still mate, you should have called. Your girl seems very vulnerable. Why do you think Katherine opened those chaps of hers?"

"Because she's...I don't know, I can't say that for sure."

"What, what is it?"

"Nevermind that. I am completely in the wrong here, I should have told Treasure sooner. And she's not vulnerable, she's fighting and she has to because she's young and she's a dancer in New York of all places and she's just fucking phenomenal," He let out a dry laugh, "I fucked up, big time."

"Did this time away from her make you really appreciate her beyond her beauty?"

Klaus's questions were the only thing that kept him telling his story. This night was truly the peak of Stefan's honesty. The truth was being told in a house that no one truly lived in. Maybe that's what it made so safe for Stefan to confide in rather to Klaus himself. He simply replied, "Yes, and I love her."

Suddenly, he stood again, this time with purpose and that purpose was to find his Treasure. He didn't miss Klaus's framing of calling Treasure his, because she was something to be cherished like a jewel. Stefan said rather loudly, that even the room echoed it, "I fucking love her and I just want to shout it from the Empire State Building."Ah," Klaus responded, "Well take your jacket we aren't in some damned romantic film it's freezing out there." The man threw the jacket at his departing friend and wished him luck.

After Stefan left, there were still women around and Klaus was severely annoyed. He tapped on his forehead, feeling an incoming headache. It wasn't from the alcohol the Britain native knew how to handle his liquor, ironically. He just didn't understand why they still continued to dance when their guest had exited and there was no one to entertain anymore.

"Stop your incessant dancing, please, go home, I'm begging you," Klaus smirked as the women were picking up their shirts and some of their dignity to prepare walking out the door.

"I have a very important lady friend coming tomorrow."

Bonnie, Jesse, and Damon searched for another 2 hours but to no avail, they never found Elena. This was cutting into both of Jesse and Damon's beauty sleep, it was something the two males could bond over while looking for the young woman. Bonnie couldn't relate she was used to not getting a full 8 hours because of her crazy hours at Petrova Fire and Infernus never slept. A ding sound woke Jesse out of his light sleeping. It was a text from Elena nonetheless.

"Sorry, you guys. I know Bonnie is still mad at me, so if you're still around her tell her to call me. I'm at home."

But that message was well over a half hour ago, his phone had gotten no reception. Jesse knew if he told Bonnie that she would blame his light sleeping on missing that important information. Carefully he said, "Elena is at home which means we can go home, also make sure you call her first before going home." Damon made a sharp, he was beyond ecstatic it was over. Bonnie yawned and pulled out her phone preparing to dial Elena's number.

"Hey, girl we are just so happy you're home safe. We'll talk tomorrow about you storming like a child."

"Home?" Elena questioned.

Bonnie raised an eyebrow and put the phone on speaker. "Yes, home, we just got your text from Jesse."

"I sent that like 40 minutes ago, you guys."

Bonnie glared at Jesse. Jesse hid behind his hands cowardly. Elena didn't hear anything on the other line so she decided to speak up.

"Well, Stefan called me and I'm going to go meet him. I hope you two didn't go on some weird witch hunt to come to find me."

Jesse and Bonnie glared at Damon. He was absolute proof that they were dead serious about finding their bottle-friendly friend. If Damon had to do one more ride around which wasn't a ride back to his house, he was going to tear all of his hair out.

"Elena," Bonnie started, "You aren't even the right mind space to go talk to that man."

"Bonnie, I swear I sobered up. I'm fine, okay? I love you, bye!" Click.

Elena hung up like she saw him standing right in front of him. Bonnie groaned, running her fingers through her curly hair. Her head hurt, tonight or this morning wasn't the time to be someone else's judgment. At this point, they were all beyond exhausted and just wanted to go home.

"They're like vampires," Jesse said, thinking out loud. "Do they ever sleep? And they only see each other during the night!"

Damon laughed, he needed a good laugh from this crazy ass hunt the two friends had him on. It wasn't that bad taking a break from being the funny guy. Admittedly, he did have to force it at times. His family was so serious and mundane, so his humor worked as a way to uplift the tone. Then the trio decided to just go home and hope for the best with their friend and Damon's brother.

Bonnie just wanted to smoke on something strong and mellow, she just couldn't be bothered with dealing with the latest of Stefan and Elena's dysfunction.

Elena knew it was flat out rude to hang up on Bonnie but once she saw Stefan right in front of her all logic and reasoning went out the window. She wasn't lying when she said she went home, she was dressed in her favorite plaid pajamas and slippers. Stefan's phone call had changed everything in her mind. After all that time, she was all he could think about and knowing that made her happy. Happy that she left him alone, happy she let him miss her for once and even more happy because she felt even powerful.

She had this man's heart without a doubt now. Sure, she could be stupid and foolish and naive but all those things meant nothing to her, she was in love and that lacks anything type of justification. Elena ran into Stefan's arms at a pace that was just as fast as the beat of her heart. Their embrace was the only that kept them warm in the cold. She buried her face in his neck, just breathing him in and it felt so right.

Stefan ran, no walked his fingers through her hair, he loved her long, brown hair. He didn't want to rush through brushing through it because that wasn't all he missed, he missed Elena entirely. She finally unburrowed her face from the crook of his neck and smiled at him warmly. Stefan stroked her face with his right thumbs, her cheeks were extremely cold.

"I missed touching you." He said to her in a low voice.

Elena looked down, "I know, that was kind of the point."

Stefan breathed in and out and asked, almost scared to even ask if he could kiss her. So with her permission, they did just that right in front of his apartment building. Elena had kissed men with her mouth sure, but not with her heart, this kiss was overflowing with longing and substance. They felt something, like wetness on their heads. Elena laughed as she looked up, it was snow. The first snow to fall from the sky this season happened while they reunited.

The snow melted almost instantaneously as it hit the ground since it wasn't the dead of winter. It was still cute to see it come from the sky though before winter really came it became a pain to travel in. Biting her lip, Elena said, "Well, I guess we're going to have to cut this short because of the weather.."

Stefan quickly picked her up, bridal style and nuzzled her neck. "Short?" He asked, in disbelief. He was walking sloppily in his building. The pajamas made her heavy, most likely. Elena giggled and shrieked, "Stefan, please put me down-" He wanted to transform those giggles into moans and screams. He put her down right when they were right outside of his apartment door.

Her back was pressed against the wall and his hands were moving up and down aggressively. They were kissing again and it wasn't as sweet as it was outside in the cold. Now he was kissing her neck, and his hand was fondling the waistband of her underwear. They were really giving his neighbors a show here and no actual sexual intercourse was being had yet.

"Touch me, make me release," Elena whispered.

"How bad do you want it?"

"I want it dangerously."

Stefan slid his hand past her underwear and fingered her, using his thumb to circle around her clit, knowing it would only intensify her orgasm. She didn't care how loud she was in the hallway of the floor, in fact, she didn't give a damn if the entire building could hear her being pleasured. It wasn't their fault that they didn't have enough decency to at least go inside to do their grand makeup sex. It's just wherever the passion took them that truly mattered.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 14: Winter's Dove

The past few weeks had been amazing for Elena. She and Stefan were practically at the hip and she was starting to think that their closeness was bordering on insanity. It wasn't like she was trying to put her social life to the side but she did want to make up lost times with him. They started their day together and ended their nights and early morning making love. Oh, it was wonderful! With her freshly new defined relationship with Stefan, she felt like she could conquer anything at all.

Anything except cooking, that's her kryptonite. The young girl was cooking with her friends in her small apartment. The three of them wanted to at least have one hangout before Christmas came. Elena wanted to go outside and see the holiday decorations but Bonnie complained that it would be too cold to do that. So, their solution was to help Elena put up her tree while cooking. Let's just say that they got distracted with moving it towards the window since the passing people walking by Elena's had to see her boisterous tree. If only said apartment matched the luxury of her grand tree.

"Bitch," Jesse panted with his hands on his knees wiggling towards the floor. "I can't do anymore." Then he plopped down on Elena's loveseat and froze when he heard something squeak. Bonnie was using an old pot for a stepping stool and turned around to give him a nasty look and went back to putting candy canes on the tree.

The brunette turned towards her friend who never failed to have entertaining commentary. "It's caught on the trap, there's no way it'll get you." She raised an eyebrow when Jesse started to calmly dial numbers on his keypad. "What are you doing?" She asked while letting the tree garter since she stopped wrapping it around the tree.

"I'm thinking about calling animal control on your ass instead of this rat underneath me," He said clearly and hugged himself shivering in a very noticeable way. "How do you live like this?"

Elena shrugged, she came home to a rat in her kitchen after a long night of working and snapped at her landlord the next morning. The whole place is infested with them apparently. "Thank God I only have one, Tina next door with 3 kids has five running around."

'Tina next door doesn't have a rich ass boyfriend does she?"

"jesse, you are just unbelivable..."

Jesse had more words for her and they bickered back and forth about her apartment. Bonnie stepped down from her pot with a candy cane in her mouth. It was in there long enough to make the other end pointy. She simply walked over to the kitchen and put the pot back in the cabinet. There was an unpleasant smell coming from the oven which more than likely meant the cookies were burnt. Elena and Jesse came trailing in and the fire monitor went out causing a whole commotion.

"See I told you that putting on low wasn't a good solution, now look at the damn pan." Jesse held it up with his oven mitt. "Burnt to a fucking crisp!"

Elena put her hands over her face, they'd put it just 45 minutes ago and she completely forgot about it. She eyed Jesse walking towards the window near the sink. "What are you doing? Jesse stopped, someone could be walking!" It was too late, he'd thrown out the tray with the cookies out. When he turned around, he pointed at her. Elena looked defeated in her snow white sweater and light blue jeans with her apron on. If she looked the part of a homemaker, she sure wasn't anywhere of being one.

"I don't care about the cookies because we all know you can't cook worth a damn my problem is that you are paying to live in a dump for no reason!"

"I'm not, I come here sometimes," Elena weakly defended herself.

"It is true," Bonnie said, agreeing with Jesse's sentiments.

"Okay, I just want to keep this place just in case-"

"Don't you dare say that we did not chase you around town for this.

"Okay, I'm sorry," Elena breathed in and out, sitting down on a chair. "But what if it does? I don't want to put all my hopes on this one guy."

Bonnie came to her side and brushed her hair to the side. "Well, you never want to do that but you should at least bring up the idea of moving in together. You're one of the club's top earner's and you should be living like it."

Jesse rolled his eyes and dragged his feet to give the emotional brunette a side hug. "We don't need you to jump out of the window out or anything, we're just giving our input like we always do."

Elena smiled and squeezed him tighter causing her close friend to almost suffocate. She needed them to knock her down from time to time.

* * *

A few days pass and after a night of dancing she had Stefan come pick her up. The drive is quiet but she catches his eye every now and then. She wonders if he was awake when she called - just waiting for her.

"I missed you," He said, with his eyes on the road but his hand was firmly on her upper thigh and cursed when he felt fabric instead of her skin.

"I missed you too," She repeated with a smile but her tone was somber.

"What's wrong?"

"I can't sleep alone at night, that's wrong."

"Oh," He said, withdrawing his hand from her thigh.

 _Oh?_

When they get in his apartment the dreadful conversation replays in her head and she begins to get furious. Furious at herself for even bringing it up in the first place. The next step in their relationship would be moving in if not marriage. He took off his black coat placed it on the hanger and reached out to grab Elena's. The girl seemed annoyed and detached from his viewpoint. The man wasn't really a mind reader but he could read faces. He wrapped his bold arms around her body and kissed her cheek.

"Tell me what's on your mind."

"I just don't think you value me."

Freeze. Pause. What? She couldn't be serious right now.

"Don't say that it's not true," He reassured and led them to the kitchen. Elena was being hoisted up on the large counter and her mood did entire 180. The way he could focus on her alone made her feel special in a way. It was 1 AM or something in the morning so no one could interrupt them or anything they could just be. Stefan's hands stayed on her hips as he kissed her forehead, "I value you from here," he planted languid kisses down her neck to her feet to prove his point in a goofy way. "To here."

Stefan touched the most beautiful part of her body and cupped it resulting in a moan escaping helplessly from Elena's lips.

"But I gotta be honest I think I value you the most _here_."

She pushed him in closer and let him devour her neck even further and gasped in sheer pleasure when he inserted his middle finger inside of her heat and then another. The girl was supposed to be mad at him but low and behold she was dropping her underwear for him. The late morning would be still an opportune time to fuss at him about his one world reply early.

Morning came and even though their sex was phenomenal it couldn't stop inevitable confrontations from happening.

"Last night I said in the most obvious way that I wanted to move in with you and you go 'Oh'" Elena turned viciously towards Stefan and pointed at him. "I mean what kinda answer is that?"

He ran his fingers through his hair. "What you said it doesn't mean what you said it means. You say you're lonely when you're not with me all the time, how am I supposed to know that was the one-"

"I don't know!" Elena exclaimed holding her shaky hands out. "But you just are, we spend so much time together it just makes sense that...look if you don't want me to move in just say so I can stop wasting my time." And start looking for a new apartment for myself.

Stefan sighed; he didn't want to lose her over something so frivolous. He had his arms out for a hug. "Come here." Elena trotted over with a half pout but still found that comfortable position in his affectionate hold. He held her there for some time before speaking.

"I don't want to fight, which is why I am dropping you off at your old apartment," Stefan released her and held face, stroking her cheek. "And you get all your things out of there because you're moving in with me. There's no way you're staying in that shitty apartment until the new year."

Stefan was expecting a bunch of questions since she was essentially uprooting a part of her life but this particular one caught him off guard.

"Can I bring my tree?" Elena asked with her big brown eyes flashing joy and wonder. "We worked on it so hard and I'd hate to throw it away." She sighed when she saw the lost look in his eye. "It's fine, it is sort of silly moving a Christmas tree from where I am at to over where I am now, just forget-"

Stefan stopped any doubt in her mind by kissing her deeply. When they released she almost fainted from the suddenness of his mouth on hers.

"We can bring in a hundred trees, for all I care. I just want you to be happy here."

Elena nodded, agreeing and stood on her toes to kiss her caring boyfriend.

* * *

Bonnie Bennett did not do dates. Hell, she can't remember the last time she even went on one. At least when she did go back in her dating days nothing really changed- the guy would be more into her than him. Well, lackluster date and all she always got free food. The date she was on with Damon and they were at an upscale restaurant in Manhattan. Something French-like name she couldn't pronounce without the man laughing at her attempts.

She was wearing a red Valentino gown with gold jewelry underneath her coat. The establishment had an entire coat room. She and her date were able to skip the long line and be seated right away. His last name seemed to open multiple doors. He looked dapper as well in his blue suit staring at her with the menu covering his face from the nose down. She held her face to keep from laughing, she really couldn't stand him.

"Can you not? We're in public."

"'I'm Bonnie and I'm so serious and anal blah blah Damon shut up boy you talk too much,'" He imitated her in a dramatic high pitched voice.

Bonnie threw a breadstick at his shoulder. "Cut it out."

The waiter came over to take their orders and afterward they continued their conversation. It wasn't about anything too serious, especially with Damon's humorous nature. After all his efforts, he finally made her laugh unrestrained. Bonnie laughed so much that she held her stomach when their food came. Damon loved seeing her let go like that and wanted to see more of the great Infernus erupt even more.

"See, I told you that you needed a night out."

She dug into her food, a plate of a chicken teriyaki dish. "And I hate winter, but a free dinner isn't anything I can just pass up."

Damon nodded and started on his plate, every now and then he'd ask how was Bonnie's meal was and it felt fucking normal. Like how a date should be. So, the real reason he dragged her here would be revealed - he wanted normalcy. They'd been doing this non-defined version of dating and he had no interest in seeing anyone else since he knew and felt what Bonnie was like.

"I want you to stop stripping."

Her fork dropped. _What. The Fuck. Did. He. Just. Ask._ The young dancer had flashbacks to her father doing the same tactics of buying her nice things and talking to her in a cut and dry way like Damon was doing now. Just because he could afford very luxurious things didn't mean she was one of them. The date had just been rendered garbage in her mind. Wordlessly and angrily, she stormed off to the coat room. People stared and whispered but Damon roared at them, "Don't act like none of you aren't here with your mistresses right!" With that, he chased her.

She was taking off her earrings and stuffing them in her pockets and began to walk out of the restaurant. He was right behind her despite not wearing a coat for the season until he was stopped by staff.

"Sir, the check!"

Damon threw his credit card at the waiter and rolled his eyes. "Go crazy with the tip for all I care." He ran out trying to look for his agitated date.

"Bonnie!"

"How dare you?!" Her eyes were filled with tears. "You know what the methods my father used and you think it'll work for you because what, we share a bed together? Well, you're wrong and I will not be bought." She turned around with arms crossed. The winter air was brutal and she was yelling against it because of him. Damon came closer to her holding his hands out, gesturing them to make his grand point.

"That's the thing, I don't want to just share a bed with you matter of fact I want to spend my life with you!"

Bonnie turned around slowly and processed his words carefully. "What are you saying?"

Damon put her hand over his heart. "I haven't felt a connection with anyone this strongly and I don't want to lose you." He started at her with his award-winning baby blue eyes and she wavered under his gaze. "Marry me, Bonnie."


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Sorry for any typos, writing chapters at 2 am sort of dull my grammar skills.**

Chapter 14: Snow Passing

A week passed and Elena and Bonnie were settled comfortably in the new but scary changes in their relationships respectably. The girls both called each other with news, one being more excited to share than the other. Elena had finally moved all her clothes into Stefan's, putting them in a closet just reserved for her. It wasn't until then she realized she shopped a lot. After color coding her wardrobe a process that took 2 exhausting hours, she decided to ring Bonnie. Pressing her phone to ear she walked to her room door and closed it shut.

The brunette practically screeched, "Guess what?"

"What?" Bonnie asked, sarcasm dripping from her tone.

"I am officially moved in and," Elena looked at the date on her phone, "It's the first day of winter so I just feel so good today."

Bonnie hugged herself with one arm. "That's great, I owe Jesse...ah, nevermind. I'm happy for you and your new beginnings."'

"Ugh, we need to hang out again, it's been way too long-"

Bonnie blurted out, "Damon asked me to marry him." There was no opportune time to say it nor did she want to say it.

Elena laughed out loud and held her stomach tightly as she rolled around on her bed. _Damon and marriage?_ She stopped and caught her breath when she heard the silence from the other end. Guess she wasn't the only one wrapped up in a Salvatore. Bonnie told her everything from him asking her to go on a date to how the question came about. Truth is, Bonnie didn't know what she did to make the man fall for her so fast.

"Oh, my God, um, well how do you feel?" Elena asked, shifting ontop of her comforter. "More importantly what did you _say_?"

"Shit, I don't know. Shocked and angry but then I thought about it before giving him an answer. I'm 22, have I met my soulmate this young in my life and is he worth giving up the one thing that makes me _me_? I found my identity at Petrova, I know how to hustle and make moves there."'

Bonnie took a long sigh and looked at the jewelry on her finger. "I said yes," she speaks up again when she hears Elena's cheering in the background.

"But there is a clause-"

"Bonnie, the man loves you-you can't put a limit on love, you just can't!" Her optimism didn't go unchecked.

"Well, he should have never asked me to stop dancing!" She breathed in and out to plactate herself. "Anyways, the clause is the engagement has to be at least 6 months for me to even consider quitting. In the meantime, I cut my hours."

"I bet Katherine had much to say about that," Elena said in a monotonous voice.

"She'll get over it. Besides when or if I leave you'll have to fill my shoes."

"What? I can't do that, I'm happy where I am now hierarchy wise."

"You're in the Top 5, Elena, Katherine may have her issues with you and vice versa but she'll need you," Bonnie told her and then looked at her beeping phone. "Ugh, it's Damon, I'll call you back, okay?"

Elena could barely get a word out in response before the veteran hung up. Her taking over was the last thing she wanted to do. That meant she had to make some sort of peace with Katherine and she wasn't prepared to do that now. She'd rather pack her bags, hop on a plane, and mend her and her mother's relationship. She was broken from her dire thoughts when she heard a knock on her door. Stefan. It was kind of cute how he was respecting her privacy, it was his place after all. She opened it immediately and he saw the forlorn look in her eyes.

In an instinct, Stefan hugged her.

"Are you okay?"

Elena pulled away from him and wiped off her dry cheek. "I'll be fine," she looked at him with her big brown eyes. "Lay with me?"

He doesn't have much of a choice once she dragged him to the nearby mattress. They ended up cuddling, with his fingers brushing her long, brown hair. Besides, she's wearing one of his shirts that stop right at her thighs. She wanted to steal all of his clothes, keeping them for herself childishly. All he knew was the number of sweatshirts he had were dropping at disproportionate rate.

"So," Elena began and ran her finger across her boyfriend's chest. "Bonnie and Damon are getting married and you probably knew that this whole week."

"I didn't want to spoil it for you, she deserved to tell you on her own terms."

Elena nodded; it was enough of an acceptable answer for her to move on.

"So, how do you feel about it?" Elena asked genuinely, staring into his eyes.

"I'm happy for them - Damon especially but if they do get hitched that just means I'll not see you," Stefan replied with a goofy smile.

"Hey!" Elena sat up and threw a pillow at him, resulting in him rubbing his face like he was really affected. "I am not that easy to get rid of."

Stefan lifts her on to him and watched her look down on him with an eyebrow raised.

"I wasn't trying to. I never push the people I love away."

Love? Oh, yeah, love. He loved her but she wasn't ready to hear that bow.

Elena still was straddling him, frozen at his words and cleared her throat.

"I thought I said no funny buisness," She tells him in sassy tone.

"Right, _you_ said it, not me."

In a flash, Stefan has her on her back, screaming out his name and begging him to stop his minstrations. His fingers lace her torso - he's tickling her.

..

Christmas came along fast for Stefan and Elena. She was the first one to wake and decided to brew them some coffee as they had a long day ahead of them. After some time, he did eventually stir and woke up to an empty bed only to find Elena where she definitely shouldn't be - the kitchen. Both of them exchanged gifts happily. It was mainly clothes but one gift from Elena caught Stefan's eyes. Tickets to a food show of some celebrity cook he watched on the Food Network. The date for them was for the first weekend of the new year.

"I feel bad because you had to sit through cooking shows with me and all I got you is this stupid necklace." He pulled out a red box with a gold ribbon around it. Judging from Elena's face, she didn't think it was pointless. Any gift had meaning for her. The necklace was just a gorgeous silver pendant, it went with her skin perfectly as Stefan hoped. His fingers brushed against her neck, sending waves of shock down her spine.

Elena put her thumb over the material that ended along her breast.

"I love it, it's perfect."

"When people see it, they'll know your boyfriend gave it to you," Stefan whispered in her ear, holding her close and kissed her cheek.

Breaking the moment up for good reason, she turned around. "We should go, I can hear Jesse bickering with Bonnie at your brother's and it's only 10 o'clock."

* * *

"You aren't getting a _damn_ thing from me!" Bonnie exclaimed into her phone and ended the call.

Damon went to try to comfort her but she put her hand up. This was all his fault, telling her to get into contact with her mother. Now she thought she could impose on Bonnie at any given time. Jesse was just sitting on the couch by himself shaking his head as set up her MacBook for her. She was way too annoyed to do it herself. He knew that his dear friend wasn't in a positive mood, so their usual back and forth was paused for the day. Bonnie stormed off down the hallway, wanting to be left alone.

The raven-haired man ran his fingers through his hair, stressed out. Then, he went to the kitchen and quickly rewarded himself with a glass of Cognac. It was a Christmassy drink enough to excuse the morning drinking, not that a holiday stopped him from drinking so early anyway. He was doing everything right and Bonnie still didn't seem completely happy. The doorbell rang and he just yelled out to whoever it was to come in. It was probably Stefan and Elena anyway.

"Merry Fucking Christmas," Damon yelled and his voice weakened when he saw his parents step in.

"Well, Happy Holidays to you too, Damon." His mother greeted. His father just looked disappointed, as usual.

"Uh, what are you two doing here?" He questioned quietly, putting his glass down.

"Oh, son don't be shy, keep throwing that filth to back of your throat this early," His father spoke in a judgy tone.

Lily put her coat on the hanger. "We thought we could come since you and your brother aren't interested in bringing Christmas to our home."

Jesse began to text Elena frantically and Damon was glad when he saw that he was. Stefan couldn't face them right now especially with his new girlfriend. They would never shut up and it would serve as a way to intimidate the young girl. This was a bad day for him too, Bonnie was in an incredibly cranky mood. Speaking of, she came back out of the room after she much needed alone time.

"So, I just got a text from Elena, apparently she and Stefan are stuck in snow traffic, whatever that means."

The woman looked up to see the two people at the door and sensed the quiet tension in the room. Oh. Jesse was impressed at Elena's ability to come up with a cover lie that fast. No stores were open and the snow removal trucks could not be in service today. However, Bonnie said too much in front of the wrong people.

"Well, cat's out the bag, I'm not a wealthy orphan a la Bruce Wayne, these are my parents," Damon said, coming close to her.

Bonnie smiled and walked over to introduce herself. These people probably knew next to nothing about her. She would have to keep a never-ending smile on her face until they left. Lily sat down at the table with her husband following behind her. Damon gritted his teeth in irritation. Bonnie leaned over to say something in his ear.

"If they're not out of here in an hour, I'm telling them you picked me up on 98th street."

She tapped a tad bit hard on his back causing him to cough and then smiled at her future new in-laws. Ones that didn't know that they would be her legal family now. Since Damon popped the question, it was his responsibility to tell them. He looked obviously uncomfortable as his parents just imposed on him. Bonnie noticed and led the conversation with ease, comfortable in her black Balmain jeans and red sweater as she talked to the old couple. Not all of what she said were lies, she simply glossed over her real occupation. It was true that she sold furniture pieces on her website, she had been quite the mini-architect. Jesse had to introduce himself, as colorful as he was as her longtime friend and hairstylist.

One thing wasn't adding up through the integral person who introduced them.

"You two met on Stefan's birthday at Le Bernardin, correct?" Lily asked, exaggerating the name of the restaurant. "But who is the girl he was with?"

"He's an attractive guy, could get any girl he wanted, it could have been anyone," Damon said nonchalantly, leaning back in the seat.

"But, Bonnie isn't she your friend, why let Damon, of all people, talk about her like that?" Lily turned towards her eldest. "No offense, darling."

They had ten minutes in her personal countdown. Telling the story of her and Damon meeting and then answering any questions they had about her took almost an hour. Jesse saw her foot tapping under the table. He had to say something.

"Treasure is not a close friend of Bonnie's, per se. They bump shoulders from time to time but in their line of work they're like enemies."

Lily just looked even more confused while Damon and Bonnie shot death glares at Jesse. She just had to infer that this Treasure girl also ran a website like Bonnie and sold items from it exactly like her. It was too much of a coincidence. Giuseppe looked like he was catching on to a modicum of the truth. He'd have to talk to both of sons alone again. Clearly, neither of them thought of the consequences of having new relationships. Seeing that they had to go on with the story, the couple just smiled and nodded, agreeing along. It didn't soothe Lily in the slightest but she could see her time at her son's was ending here.

The wife hugged both of them goodbye and even said her farewells to Jesse. A little inappropriate, but he was nonetheless entertaining. Lily left out first but Giuseppe purposely took his time getting up. Once by the coat hanger, he stared at Damon sternly.

"Come see me next Tuesday," The heavyset man turned towards Bonnie. "It was lovely meeting you."

"Likewise."

Once they were officially gone, Bonnie whacked Jesse on the back of his head.

"Ow, what the hell-"

"You should have never said _shit_ ," Bonnie yelled pushing at him angrily.

"Look, babe, I'm mad too but let's not get too violent. Someone will call the police if you two I'm gonna be the one who catches the heat." Damon shuddered at the potential headlines.

Taking a deep breath, she decided to channel her frustration somewhere else. She let go of Jesse's shirt and pointed at him once. "I'm not done with you, not at all." Jesse was just marveled that she was actually listening to her boyfriend. If anyone could out the firecracker that was Bonnie Bennett, it would be Damon.

"Why did you have to say her name though?" The man of the house asked.

Jesse scoffed and threw his hands out. "'Cause you two were blubbering like two dumbasses! That lady wanted answers. It's not like it's her real name-"

"Yeah, it's her stage name, no one's gonna meet Elena as Elena," Bonnie replied back icily with her arms crossed.

"Oh, please if Big _Daddy_ Salvatore comes strolling in Trova then secretary blonde fish working for him have failed her job miserably."

Two things went over Damon's head; his dad being coined as 'Big Daddy' and the fact that he'd been sleeping with a loose assistant. Bonnie just held the sides of her head and massaged them in circles.

"I need a drink," She spoke with great iritation.

"Already on it," Damon said handing her a glass full of fine Cognac.

It was Christmas day and she was trying to already drown herself into the new year.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15: New Year, Same Mess

The weird time between Christmas and New Years Eve were finally coming to end as the year itself. A disaster was avoided with Elena and Stefan skipping the visit at Damon's place. The young dancer was in no standing to meet his parents. They'd recognize her immediately and note how quickly Stefan moved on. Then they would bring up his ex and the dinner would torpedo itself. She was surprised from the phone call with Bonnie on how well she handled it. Of course, Jesse had to intervene, as sitting in silence was not a specialty of his.

Scenarios. Elena avoided all of them that day but now she had to prepare for the last night of the year. Her friends agreed on clubbing and she was glad because she wanted to drink like crazy. It was already bad enough that her boyfriend, who usually had stellar health had suddenly fallen ill. Meaning she had to go out tonight without a man by her side. Her lively Stefan was sleeping all day, eating so little and had curt manners. The young woman's patience was running low because she tried everything to get him to get out of the slump he was in but all her attempts failed.

"Thank you," Stefan said in a hoarse voice when Elena brought him a warm tea. He was sweating profusely.

Elena crossed her arms and looked down. "No problem," she said through gritted teeth weakly hiding her annoyance.

After drinking his cup Stefan put it to the side,

"You seem upset," he commented.

 _Oh boy._

"I just want you to get better," She said walking over to him to give him a kiss on the cheek. "but if you are feeling any better-"

Slightly, he pushed her away and killed all her optimism away for tonight.

"I'm not feeling well at all and I don't want you to get sick, so you should get ready I know you're dying to leave me alone," Stefan told her, eyeing the curling rods in her hair.

Elena stood there in shock for a while at the distance between them and shook her head, walking off. There were tears welling up in her eyes but once in the bathroom she grabbed a cotton swab and wiped the bottom whites of her eyes. Her makeup wouldn't get ruined for this. The brunette took a few minutes to straighten herself out. Her actions in the mirror resembled something of a Barbie doll. Internally, she was hurting but on the outside, what truly mattered to her is that she was picture perfect.

Bonnie, Damon, and Jesse eventually came and made themselves comfortable in the living room waiting for Elena to pop out. It was noticeably quiet and Jesse didn't like that. He was wearing a green blazer with a shirt underneath along with pants to match that stopped at his calves. It was cold as hell but he had been saving the outfit for months now. His ankles had to pay the price.

Bonnie practically shined in her sparkly sleeved dress, it wasn't too sexy yet not too conservative. She found a happy medium for clubbing tonight.

"Elena better not bail on us or I swear to God-'

"Or you'll what?" The woman of the night asked with a great smile `

Jesse held his mouth and screamed out loud, causing Damon to hold his ears.

In a second the male ran over to scan over Elena outfit; she was pretty in pink with a two-piece tube top and skirt with a matching choker. However, it was all covered by light rose mink coat.

"Oh, this cunt! Bitch, how did you pull this off?"

"Thank you," Elena said. "I didn't think could pull pink off but it's working I guess."

"You look hot," Bonnie complimented at Damon's side. holding him.

"Has he seen you in this?" Elena shook her head negatively. _Not like he wants to, anyway._

"Damn."

"Wow."

"Bad fight."

Elena rotated with her hands on her hip. "No, he isn't coming, being sick sort of ruins everything."

"Sick you said?" Damon asked, knowing the symptoms of his brother's illness as Elena nodded in response.

The three friends decided to take pictures of each other since this would be the only time of the night they'd be sober. They made various poses ranging from goofy to sassy. Bonnie with Jesse, Jesse with Elena and Elena with Bonnie. Finally, they were able to take a group photo thanks to Damon and his self-taught picture skills. Afterward, they were getting ready to head out. All of them except Damon, who wanted sniff out his brother's exact problem.

He threw the keys at his fiance. "Warm the car up for me, babe?"

Bonnie stared at the keys questionably and stared at Damon who was using his eyes to beg her to clear everyone out the living room. She did just that and knew she would be getting answers tomorrow afternoon.

"Stefan, get your ass out here!" He yelled out obnoxiously.

Stefan reluctantly walked out holding his head in his black sweats and hoodie. He had no time for his older brother's shenanigans. "What do you want?" He barked out.

Damon quickly charged towards him and grabbed his face to stare at his features. Then he was shoving a flashlight in front of Stefan's eyes resulting in the young man pushing him away.

" _Fuck_ is wrong with you?"

Damon pointed at his brother accusingly. "You're not sick with a cold in the middle of winter, your body adjusted to the weather." He continued when Stefan looked away. "What you can't handle is getting off that shit!"

"I-"

"Bullshit!" The dark-haired male screamed, wanting answers. "When was the last time you got high or is the event wiring your brain to sniff something."

Stefan sighed and shoved his hands in his pockets. "I don't know, man maybe 3 weeks ago..."

"You were with Elena three weeks ago, you've been with her for a month now," Damon said, recalling timelines. "How the hell can you keep lying to her?"

He scratched his head at his brother's sudden advocacy in healthy relationships.

"I went to Klaus's and it was just there, it was only one bump," Stefan said, weakly defending himself.

Damon put his hands over hips and paced in circles, feeling dizzy in his Saint Laurent leather jacket. He had to come up with a quick excuse, or lie to feed his fiance. Dropping everything to save his brother from spiraling was his number one priority. He really didn't deserve Bonnie's patience. He looked at his brother, sighed and then dialed her up.

"Hey, babe, you all show just go without me, I swear I'll meet you there later on."

"Bonnie's hand was almost crushing the phone. "What why?

"Ah, you don't want me to say."

"Say the reason why you won't see me when the clock strikes 12."

Damon looked at his ring finger and said, "Fine, I made a stupid, bladder-relieving decision and ended up going to the bathroom. My ring must have gone down the drain."

"Oh, my God, we have insurance don't we?"

"I know but I really want to keep the original and," He looked over to his brother and exclaimed, "Aw, Stefan you don't have to unscrew the sink, you're sick enough!"

Stefan just stared in confusion and then figured out that Damon was running a hoax and that he needed to play along.

"Well," Bonnie said, her voice doubling down. "Hope you find it."

After the call ended, Stefan spoke up from his seat on the couch. Damon was serving up a mystery drink in the kitchen

"You didn't have to do that, you know."

"I do and I'll deal with whatever comes tomorrow but you need to get clean and unlike most people's New Year's resolutions plans yours starts today," Damon told him while handing the cup full of his homemade, rancid detox. Stefan shuddered before drinking it all at once. This was going to be a long night.

* * *

Elena, Jesse, Bonnie were having a fun night on the town. Bonnie calmed Elena's nerves about her issues at home by ordering the best Cristal to their VIP section. Her and Jessee ran to the dancefloor multiple times when they (Jesse) heard an urban song with a strong beat. No one really cared about the lyrics. Bonnie knew from the number of shots the two were throwing to the head It was sometimes difficult finding a club that wasn't that uppity but the three of them found it. Bonnie just wished they had more comfortable seats; partying wasn't really on her mind and she just wanted to lounge.

Jesse sprinted excitedly upstairs with his loafers in his left hand and yelled out, "Elena or Treasure shall I say is dancing on the fucking bar."

Bonnie raised a brow. "And they haven't got her down yet?"

Jesse grabbed his friend's hand leading her downstairs to see it for herself. Their Elena was full of energy rotating around like a pink furball. It was no secret that she was under the influence, maybe a little too under it. Her friends cheered her on along with the other clubbers. Elena turned around perfectly and bent over and got back up feeling dizzy. She laughed it off and threw her jacket to the crow which resulted in more fanfare.

"If this bitch wanted to do this she should have taken her ass to work tonight," Jesse commented as Elena sat with her legs crossed counting money from random tippers.

"That's why I want her to take over when I-"

There's bickering on Elena's side of the room.

"I _said_ don't touch me," The young dancer warned and her eyes were glistening with danger.

The man put his hands up. "I ain't mean no disrespect but you're sexy ma."

She gave an annoyed eye roll and slid off the counter intending to get far away as possible from the persistent male. "Yeah, and you can admire all of this from afar."

As she walked off, he grabbed her hand forcefully. "It's just a compliment, calm down."

Before she could pry out of his stronghold, he slapped her behind and whispered in her ear, "But um, if you're trying to fuel that useless anger somewhere else let me know." Elena was furious, humiliated, and upset that she even let go like that even with drinks in her system she knew how to handle herself for the most part. She had options - to cry about it or fight back. Taking all the hatred she had for this harasser, she swiftly punched him the face. Her knuckles were hurting but all the pain subsided when she saw his blood dripping onto the floor.

"Bitch, you just fucking crossed a line!" He yelled getting in her face but Elena had a strange sort of bravery that the alcohol may or not may have a part in. Bonnie was ready to jump in front of her and was essentially down for anything that would transpire. It took Jesse to stop her and convince her to stay where she was to see what Elena would carry the situation. The two were on the edge of their seats. She grabbed the man's face and kept her sharp heel on his toe.

"That thing between your legs shouldn't grant you that much entitlement because You're not even worth the piece of gum my heels walk over on Fifth Avenue."

With that closing statement, she was soon walking towards Bonnie and Jesse. He handed her pink coat and she put it on and grabbed her cosmetic mirror to check her features out.

"Am I good?" They both nodded. "Okay, let's go, we've done enough damage here tonight."

* * *

Stefan was currently going full boot camp with Damon's strict instructions. The older brother was standing around eating chocolate cookies yelling at Stefan to run in place faster. It was fun bossing someone around like a sergeant would but joining the actual military was never in his interest despite his father's efforts for him to join.

"Get to the push-up position pronto, I want 50 in perfect posture!" Damon ordered.

Stefan sat down and breathed in and out, trying to steady his heart rate. He looked up at Damon who was deep in the refrigerator.

"Can't I take a break?" He asked exasperatedly.

"No, I said 50 flat, Steffy get to it before I make it a hundred," Damon said loudly while pulling a carton of milk out to pour for himself. He definitely needed something to wash down his cookies down with. Something in Stefan enraged him; he been working out with Damon all night and for no reason at all. He picked up a tv remote and threw it at Damon.

"No! I'm done with your stupid ass plan it's not working! All I wanna do is punch you in the face."

Damon rolled his eyes and sunk his teeth into another cookie.

"Is the urge to fight me more satisfying than to get high right now?"

"I don't know-I guess? Just leave me alone."

Damon walked in front of him and said, "Hit me, hardest punch you got."

Stefan shook his head and pushed past his brother so he could go to his room.

"Rage," Damon called out as Stefan gave him the bird. "We're getting somewhere!"

* * *

The group of friends ended up going to the diner near Petrova and grabbed a bite. They were laughing and socializing through the rest of the evening. The restaurant was mostly empty so their conversations were even louder. Elena looked at her phone; it was 11:58 pm

"You guys," she slurred tapping her nails on the table. 'The new year is coming."

Jesse nudged her, "Well no shit Sherlock."

"The ball is gonna drop," Elena said pointing to the nearby TV on the wall like a fascinated child.

"Real New Yorkers don't care that much about that," Bonnie commented nonchalantly.

"Don't ruin her fun," Jesse said.

Elena stood and opened her arms to her two friends who stood up to hug her, celebrating the new year. She was drunk but she meant well.

"I am taking both of you with me I don't know what I'd do without you," The brunette in the middle said with a slight hiccup.

"Yeah, at times I ask myself the same question, you're a mess bitch."

They all laughed along at many of the antics that went on throughout last year. The three of them were altogether and that's all that mattered in the wake of the present year.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16: New Prospers

 **A/N: A more plot-oriented chapter, or whatever that means.**

* * *

Elijah Mikaelson had an agenda. His late night texts with the owner of the club had been a way to butter her up. Buying her gifts from his far away location and complimenting her to the fullest using the most colorful adjectives. Katherine loved being the sole object of his affections and kept their non-relationship private. He was such a gentleman and he had a different but extremely confident way of presenting himself. However, she wasn't dumb and always knew men wanted something.

Elijah was smitten with her as well and it made him realize that his plan was disappearing day by day. He was quickly starting to fall for the tenacious woman. Now that he permanently moved to the city, she was unavoidable. He wasn't afraid to love again however he was wary of his brother's wrath. All he was supposed to do was obtain his share of the club. He knew his younger brother should have selected their other brother, Kol, for the task.

Sometime last year, Klaus came to Katherine with a proposition to buy a percentage of the club and she shot him down. He tried it again over a few drinks and the temptress wasn't budging. Perhaps bluntness and then trying to slum his way into owning her club weren't his smartest decisions of the year. Katherine liked to party but not the extent of bringing it to her place of business. Hence him sending another overseas charming Mikaelson her direction.

Right now Katherine had led Elijah into the club after their lavish dinner on Broadway street, courtesy of Elijah himself. She had a few many alcoholic beverages to which her date had to hold her steady as they walked around the purple and pink club. Elijah was pleased to see the interior, she kept it organized and live in there. It was her off day but they still walked on the second floor of the club as if Katherine was watching over the club.

Elijah learned the theme quickly when he saw girls in cop costumes.

The gentleman looked at a woman who brushed past him and offered him her services and he quickly denied her, coughing to excuse himself. Katherine's eyes lit up in amusement and laughed out loud holding onto him hard. She was wearing a black tube dress and his jacket was firmly placed on it. Not to mention she was taller than him in heels.

"You don't have to be so nervous, they're here to get paid not to take you home. Don't take it personally."

"Do you choose these," He pressed his lips in thought. "The themes, do you choose them?"

"Honestly, no. The managers usually do that stuff now, my schedules way too busy to decide what those girls put on."

"Hmm, I see," He turned towards her. "I could alleviate some of this stress I suppose if you just let me buy my 30%."

"Elijah," she deadpanned.

"What?" He asked kindly.

"We are not allocating this here, it's our date night."

"Yet we ended up here," Elijah grabbed both of her hands and slightly wiggled them. "A place of business."

The female boss smiled sweetly and then snatched her hands away from him to show her assertiveness.

"As I said, another day and besides you have to prove to me that you're no longer dealing with that dirty brother of yours. We all know what product is keeping him afloat.'

Elijah almost looked defeated but he was able to get inside the club and see it for himself so that was a huge step.

Katherine looked below to see one of the girls hitting a double shot.

"Follow me," she instructed Elijah. "Watch how I put my foot down."

They descended the steps and Katherine sped ahead of the Englishman to get a closer look at who the girl seemed to be - Elena.

The young brunette was caught red-handed and quickly put the glass down. Everyone knew about Katherine's strict no-alcohol rule.

"Uh, hi Katherine didn't know you were working."

"I'm _always_ working, sweetheart." Katherine responded icily. "Should I send you home or should you just walk out?"

"Don't you think that's a bit extreme?" Elijah spoke up, taking pity on the dancer.

Katherine's mouth twisted in a biting reply but she opted to come up with a new solution.

She walked over to Elena and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Warm him up for me."

"Warm what now?" Elijah asked, dazed. His intentions weren't to get a private dance from a very young girl. He swallowed thickly because from Katherine's tone she wasn't going to give this one up.

Katherine stepped to the side and introduced Elena as if she were a spanking new house on the hills.

"This is Treasure, she's been working here for a while. Has quite a mouth on her, one that particularly likes the taste of rum, beer, whiskey, tequila..." She trailed off and then continued.

"That's beside the point," she stared at Elijah directly. "It's either she goes home on suspension or she gives you a dance, choose quickly."

"Great my fate rests in the hands of a man," Elena said with her arms crossed over her police uniform or lack of.

"Fine, the dance it is." He didn't want to be responsible for stopping her income so he'd accept this silly dance.

Katherine smiled and slowly clapped at his choice, she was expecting the latter. Elena uncrossed her arms, rolled her eyes and grabbed Elijah's hand. She could fuck with Katherine's head if this was someone she was romantically involved with. Seducing men was a requirement of the job. From the top the balcony, Elena yelled out, "I'll take good care of him!" The older woman seemed to be unfazed but looked upstairs again when she saw the two talking as they went into the secluded room.

This was bigger than Elijah and he could see that Katherine and Treasure had some sort of feud. Of course, the owner had a better advantage but the dancer could win petty battles like these. She closed the door behind them and looked him up and down. He was missing his suit jacket so all that he was in was his blue dress shirt. Elena looked at the camera and then put her hand on his chest.

"Do you want to sit or stand," She asked with innocent eyes.

Elijah shifted in his stance and finally answered stuttering along. "U-um, sit, I'll sit."

months of dancShe smiled and pushed him down on the seat in a rash manner. After months of dancing she'd acquired a new confidence under er stage name. Then she slapped his thighs loudly and wrapped her pink acrylics around them, massaging them slightly. "You ready?" Elena dared with a wicked smile. The man before her looked clearly uncomfortable. He didn't want to become a casualty in this specific battle. She was being outwardly touchy and it was done out of spite to piss Katherine off.

"You don't have to do this, I'll just tell Katherine that you did your part and we can go our separate ways-"

"Treasure."

"I know your name." _How could I forget?_ "It's 5-10 minutes at the most so we can just talk."

" _Talk_ ," she scoffed. "Guys don't want to talk. They wanna see, they wanna touch, they wanna feel. You know actual verbs?"

"You seem like you've been hurt." And badly.

Elena turned away; she was so not going to discuss her personal problems.

"I'm starting the dance as soon as this song ends," she informed him.

Elijah sighed; he tried and failed to persuade two women tonight. It was very surreal that they looked like each other. Nonetheless, the dance started and Treasure was doing everything standard of a lap dance. She wasn' t talking much as she ground against him so he decided to strike up a conversation. It couldn't hurt, right.

"So, Treasure, how old are you?"

She switched from his left leg to right one and threw her hair back. "Old enough." She stood up from his lap and danced in front him, rolling her hips to the beat.

"You look familiar," He commented getting a better look at her. He was finally being able to breathe not that she was off of him.

"They say I have a recognizable face," She put her finger on his chin, making him look at her. He was very handsome, Katherine did have quite an yeey"My old stomping grounds were in Virginia and I don't think you're from there."

He cleared his throat. "No, I'm not." The song was coming to a close and she let her hold on his face go.

"Well, it was interesting having you, Elijah," Elena said.

"I feel like this isn't the last of me seeing you," Elijah stated while writing a check. "I loathe carrying cash which is why this," he pointed around the room. "isn't my preffered hangout spot."

Elena accepted the check gracefully while he walked off and glanced at it smiling

With those numbers, she wanted to see him more often.

After her shift, Elena called a taxi cab back home. She knew she was supposed to call Stefan's driver but she needed to feel independent. Her time at work got her thinking about how fast her life changed and was changing. She was so young and had so much shaping up to do. The first thing she did when she got in was shower all the odor of the club off of her. She stared into the mirror while her body was slicked with warm wet droplets; Treasure bled into Elena and vice versa in her appearance.

"Hey," she greeted her half-sleep boyfriend by snuggling in bed with him wearing one his oversized t-shirts.

Stefan pulled her closer to him and walked his fingers through her hair. "I've been waiting for you to come home all day."

"Hmm, that's nice to know."

"I burned pasta today after accidentally taking nap while it was boiling...anyways how was your day?"

"Someone told me I'd been hurt before. Could be an emotional hurt or physical, it doesn't matter they're both painful."

"And do you think that they're right?"

Elena said nonchalantly, "I don't know it sort of just stuck with me."

* * *

Bonnie slapped her boyfriend's leg every time he joked or attempted to while the wedding planner was paying them a visit. She'd selected the woman since she was infatuated with her work. They needed to set something in motion to make the engagement feel real. Besides with her working at the club less, she could focus on the next stage of her life. It felt like life's curveball and she so desperately wanted to stop the velocity.

"I think I can book Stevie to sing at the reception."

" _O_?"

"Wonder? Please say, Wonder."

The woman slowed down in her strolling and turned the couple. "Wonder, his catalog is wonderful and he owes me a favor anyway. The booking fee would be around 75,000 if we want a half medley."

"175k?" Damon asked, theatrically standing up. "He better be gaining his sight back mid-performance." H

"Damon," Bonnie said, her green eyes staring at him with much annoyance.

"Okay," the planner negotiated, "I can talk him down to 100, take it or leave it."

Damon sighed and walked back and forth and stared at his fiancee.

"it's what you want, Bonnie."

"Okay, honestly I don't all this extravagant stuff." He sighed in relief but froze up again when she spoke up again.

"But hearing a live rendition of 'Living For the City would be amazing and wouldn't go unappreciated," Bonnie finished with a grand smile.

The wedding planner, Greta scribbled in her notes. Stevie would be making his way to that reception which would be held at the Ritz. Damon wanted a travel wedding but Bonnie wanted it closest to home. It wasn't much of a fight when it came to her, he seemed to be bending over backward to meet her needs. he did spring the question on her but it was starting to become a huge nuisance.

"Happy wife, happy life, right?"

"Right, babe, I can't wait until June."

"June?"

"Yes, we agreed for it to be in June."

"No," Bonnie spoke in careful words. "You chose June, Damon. I said Labor Day."

The two shared a furious stare off and Greta looked at the two hotheads.

"How about late August?" The mediator suggested. "It'll be blazing hot but I can the Ritz right now if we decide on a date."

Bonnie and Damon loosened up on their anger and nodded in agreement. Damon even held Bonnie's hand and stroked it with his thumb.

"Whatever it takes," he said to his fiancee lovingly.

* * *

Katherine was in the middle of her skincare routine when she received a call from Caroline. This had been the fifth call from her this week and she couldn't make it anymore obvious she was avoiding the cheerful blonde. God himself better had sent a message to Caroline if Katherine was answering the phone.

"Yes, Caroline?" She asked in a strained voice. "I Kind of have a face mask on so get to the point."

"That jar better be a $100 an ounce if you want to be that rude to me," The other woman on the line said in a vicious tone.

"Fine, I'll just talk in a voice two octaves higher than my own just to please you," Katherine said, mocking her friend's tone.

"I am ready to meet the woman who stole Stefan from me."

"What?" Katherine almost dropped the phone.

"I'm so over him I just want to warn the next girl, maybe ruffle her feathers up."

"And how would I know this girl"?

"I had to do some digging and bribing and my calculations tell me she works at Petrova."

Damn, talk about persistent.

"Caroline, I want _everything_ to do what you're planning to tell her."

The blonde smiled happily. "Great, I knew it wouldn't take much convincing to get you on board."

Katherine hung up and smirked sinisterly. The phone call was tedious but in a way rewarding. In the long run, she would be winning the drawn-out war. The petty lap dance was nothing compared to what Katherine had lined up next. Elena would be shattered once meeting Caroline once and for all. Now she had to wash her face mask off, it was starting to itch at her skin.


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: This chapter starts out pretty Bonnie-centric.**

* * *

Chapter 17: Do What You Want

Bonnie hated waking up early especially to walk into modern Siberia. This was the first time in a few weeks that she woke up in her own bed alone. She told Damon that they - no, she needed time apart. She never saw a monogamous in her real life. TV depictions like _Fresh Prince_ reruns were the only form of it. Not one to wallow in self-pity, she knew that it helped her become the woman she was today.

Why was she in the cold again? Oh right, her demanding boss, Katherine called a meeting at the _ass_ crack of dawn. She walked up to see all the club girls standing in their thin winter coats, shaking like limp dogs. Easily, she walked towards the middle of the group asking questions and nodding as she got answers. They all were waiting for Katherine who had a surprise project for them.

Bonnie squinted at a girl in a white bubble shifting a metal flask in her coat pocket very sloppily.

"Elena?" She said, "I know that isn't what I think it is."

Elena turns around quickly and nodded negatively. "I was just warming up my hands."

"Yeah," Bonnie reaches for her pocket and feels the bottle in her clothed pocket. She shook her head and Elena looked away in an avoiding manner. Bonnie stepped closer, forcefully grabbing her coat buttons.

"It's 7 o'clock in the fucking and you have a flask to your lips, pull it the fuck together," The veteran dancer gritted through her teeth before letting Elena go.

The young woman who was just scolded rolled her eyes and popped a piece of gum only to tp pop it loudly.

"Happy?"

"That crap is still in your blood, it's not even noon yet."

Elena ran her fingers through her hair. She didn't want to deal with the judging, alcohol kept her warm and happy.

Katherine approached the group jumping out of her Cadillac Escalade with a business partner on the side of her. It was Elijah who was wearing a maroon suit, he seemed to be spicing it up for the day. The woman had on a pink fur coat and hat to match and smiled a little too hard for Elena's liking. Elijah waved at her specifically and she acted like she didn't see him. He wasn't a fan of being ignored.

"Treasure, it's lovely to be in your presence again," He greeted with the sole intention to call her out.

"The feeling's mutual," Elena responded after spitting out her gum rudely.

Katherine broke the friendly reunion short by wiggling the keys in front of everyone.

"Well, don't stand there like fools, follow me."

They all trickled in and found furniture to sit in once all congregated. Every one of them made it today. This was the perfect time to introduce them to Elijah. They'd been spending more time together and while she wasn't on board with him buying some of the clubs, she did appreciate his company.

"This is my new partner, Elijah Mikaelson. He did big-time real estate back in the UK hence the annoying but charming accent," Katherine introduced while giving him a playful smile. he goes to each dancer and shook their hand firmly. He saved Elena for last, making their encounter more than it is.

"Glad to be working with you again," Elijah said in an infectious dreamy-like tone.

Elena could feel the other girls - Bonnie - eyes glued on her. This guy had been pressing Elena the second he got out the car.

"Of course," The brunette agreed courteously.

Katherine fought the urge to roll her eyes or make a snarky comment. Lord knows she had a sleeve of them for the girl. Time would come and she would use her ammo that included a neurotic blonde. After their exchange, she cleared her throat loudly and continued.

"Anyways, he has a job for all you bitches so maybe next time you'll be on your knees thanking him."

"The job we all have is working at this dump, Katherine," a dancer spoke up to which everyone nodded and murmured in agreement.

"I mean an actual video gig. He knows a rapper who wants to shoot his video in a strip club," Katherine informed. "I will make sure you all get paid."

"And we don't have tip out to managers or anything?"

"They won't even be in the building on the days we film the club is closed while we shoot the video," Katherine said.

There's another added boost in morale when Elijah speaks up again.

"It isn't a video, really. it's more of a short film and he wants to interview real exotic dancers. Now, this is an opportunity for the girls who want their well I guess, big break. The interviews that stand out the most will be featured in the video."

The women chatter amongst themselves, giddy about all the new possibilities this year is already bringing. Even if some of them had just got off at 3 or 4am, you couldn't tell because of all the excitement on their faces. There was even clapping involved. Bonnie was not ecstatic about the whole video thing. Bonnie asked to speak to Katherine alone and they walked by another section. The black-haired dancer really didn't need the exposure and it would just hurt her relationship if she participated.

"I can't do any of this," Bonnie stated in a calm voice.

"Don't tell me you're letting this silly engagement with Damon cloud your judgment," She placed her hands on Bonnie's shoulders. "This is a great opportunity."

"It's not about him."

"Then do the damn video, Bonnie."

Bonnie's head started to spin, she had to go and now. There was no way in Hell she was going to let Katherine punk her into this. She turned her heel with the swiftness and was ready to embrace the cold air.

"If you walk out," Katherine looked around nervously and scrambled out, "You're fired."

All eyes were on Bonnie, seeing if she was going to head out the door or shamefully walk back to Katherine. A woman she knew for 7 difficult years. the club raised her from age 17 and she learned quickly about life and how sleazy men really were. It also taught her strength on the inside, it made up for her short height. She climbed the ranks of being the little girl dancing on the pole. The managers made her dress up as a baby because they wanted to capitalize off of her 'young' look. No one stepped up, so she had to do it for herself.

"Then I quit," Bonnie replied with a scoff, walking out the club.

Katherine's face cracked; she was not expecting this at all. She had to transition to an unbothered like attitude.

"Please, once her little fairytale with that Salvatore ends, she'll be back."

* * *

Bonnie lived like a hermit for the next week. It was the longest she kept a hairstyle in a while. She was out of work but she was smart enough to save up. Her phone had multiple missed calls that she wouldn't be returning. The last person she wanted to talk to was her boyfriend since he was the reason indirectly so. She groggily got up to get a quick snack. her fridge was getting low and she had no desire to go out and shop.

"Delivery grocery it is," She mumbled while opening her cherry vanilla yogurt, not caring to get a spoon.

There was a light, uncertain knock on her door. It was like they were reluctant to even be on the other side of her door. Considering her quitting her job, nobody would be happy visiting the hot-head. It wasn't her friends, they - Jesse - would have kicked the door in by now. Speaking of him, he was one of her very persistent callers.

"Hey, Bonnie it's Stefan, can you open up?"

Stefan? Oh, this had to be a fucking joke. She blew her breath in annoyance, she really had no time or manners for company. She unlocked her door and cracked it open by just a hair.

"What do you want?"

"Damon told me you've been dodging him."

Bonnie said blankly, "I am. Anything else?" There was a silence and she started to close the door before Stefan's tall hand prevented her from doing so.

He stared at her with concerned green eyes. She looked half of herself, she was wasting away in her own apartment.

"You aren't even answering Elena's calls and all she told him is that you and Katherine got in an argument."

Okay, Damon doesn't know, so now he just thinks I'm being a bitch without reason.

"Did she tell you what happened?" Bonnie asked, knowing Elena wouldn't enclose everything she knew.

"It isn't any of my business but if you wanna tell me, I'm a good listener."

"We should probably take a walk for this, I'll be ready ten minutes tops."

The two stroll around and Bonnie retells the story of the other day. She never interacted with Stefan much and she wondered why not. He was sort of a stoic guy but once you poke at him you could unveil his some of his substantial traits. If the guy was going to be her brother-in-law it wouldn't hurt to have a relationship with him. He bought her coffee since her complaining of the winter air never stopped. All he wore was a leather jacket.

"How the hell do you never get cold?" She asked, chattering her teeth.

"It's only 30 degrees. I'm starting to think you were born somewhere else, there's no way you're a New Yorker who hates winter."

Bonnie exclaimed pointing at herself. "We exist!"

"Whatever you say," Stefan said with a smile and glanced at Bonnie who smiled back.

"So, you're good listener, but you didn't say much when I told you about the other day," Bonnie spoke, pursing her lips. He did purposely seek her out, so she did want to hear his opinion.

"Judging by the locking yourself in your apartment, I'm just gonna take a wild guess that you didn't want to quit. Katherine puts people in positions like that to assert her power."

"I didn't want to quit, I still didn't but things were heating up and I just..." Bonnie sighed, taking a break from walking. "It was going to happen to eventually. Damon wants me to stop dancing, I can't stand for having my face plastered on a video when I'm going to be wifed up or whatever soon."

Stefan nodded understandably. "Eventually happened a week ago, though. I'm pretty sure Katherine's having daily breakdowns about you leaving if that makes you feel any better."

"I know this isn't his fault but I can't even bear to look at Damon's face."

"I've also have had to share that same feeling of never wanting to see him.'

"It goes away, right?"

They both knew the answer, eventually time would pass and Damon's antics would be forgiven

"Every time."

* * *

Katherine was in her kitchen with a wine glass in her hand just thinking or what she did best - plotted. She didn't know who needed to be punished first between Elena and Bonnie. Her and Bonnie rarely had problems so the see-saw was always in Elena's disfavor. Up until Bonnie quitting the way she did. Now she was stuck and sitting on the Caroline shit. The blonde hadn't stopped blowing up her phone. She wanted to cancel the confrontation altogether because she needed to redirect her energy into making Bonnie join her again.

That damned Damon Salvatore was probably rejoicing in his head while Bonnie sulked about her termination. It was around 10pm and the alcohol in her system was making her sleepy. She didn't understand why Elena loved drinking so much at her young age. She took off the sweater that made her ten times hotter than that she cared for and threw it on the couch.

"God, I hate men," Katherine said in harsh tone before taking a swig of her Rose.

Speaking of the devil, he was calling her cell right now. It buzzed on her tabletop for a few seconds. She'd humor him in her partially drunk state.

"Why hello, Katherine color me surprised that you actually picked up the phone," Damon's vindicated tone practically rang in her ears. She could even imagine his cocky face. Probably freshly sexed with a luminous post-coitus glow and pants hanging low on his hips. This image was a wild guess but it was true, Damon just had to gloat even if it was on voicemail had Katherine not answered the phone.

"Is that all you wanted to say, Salvatore?" She asked with a fake yawn.

"No," he looked over at Bonnie who was sleeping soundly in his bed. "I just want to say how not sorry I am for Bonnie quitting. She deserves better and I'm gonna give her better."

"Aw, you taking away a woman's form of income because your male ego can't take that she has to shake her ass to get it."

Damon let out a laugh at her pre-rehearsed reply; she was out of things to snap back at him with.

"You lost, Kit-Kat, face it. All this meddling in people's relationships only for it to backfire."

"Please."

"The ranks are closing in on you. You're 30, alone and forever to be single. Bonnie says she was the only one who had respect for you while the rest of the girls didn't, they are going to mop the floor with you."

"Shut up, Damon."

"Where did being the bad guy get you anywhere? Everyone's fear of you is just dwindling and dwindling..." He repeated in a low, taunting tone.

"You need to take back everything you just said because after this my mercy will know no limit."

"Eat shit, Katherine, what could you possibly have on me?"

"Rose. I think I'll give her a call I'm sure she'd come up with a reasonable consequence for your very impulsive mouth."

The club owner ended the call with a devious smirk and continued with drinking her sweet wine knowing that Damon was having a fit as soon as she pressed the 'end' button.

it'd been a stressful two weeks for Elena since Bonnie quit but she managed. The video had already started its filming process in the meantime and Jesse always accompanied her on set. Partially so he could make fun of the set designer's skills but it was to also support Elena since a third of the group was out of commission. Bonnie needed time to heal.

One day on set, Jesse made a verbal note of the interactions between Elijah and Elena. He had no clue who the guy was but it definitely wasn't any kind of Elena the way he ravished her with his eyes. Her and Katherine and the director of the video were the only people he closely talked with.

"So," Jesse popped out behind Elena who was in her dressing chair. "What's up with you and the 'prim and proper' guy?"

Elena tucked an invisible piece of hair behind her ear. "Nothing, why do you ask? It was an odd question all she was doing was being polite.

The hair consultant leaned in her ear all while looking at the man in question. He was going over the footage with Katherine and the director.

"That man stares at you like you are the last buttered cornbread in the pan."

The brunette in her red satin attire scrolled through her phone powered it off and said, "Good because if the right men stare at me like that my bank account will continue to be as succulent as it is.'

"Do you hear yourself right now? You're playing with fire."

Elena rolled her eyes. "I gave him one dance under Katherine's orders, I haven't even cashed the check he gave me yet."

Jesse's face contorted in something of shock and disbelief. "You're still holding onto it, you're a Cancer you like sentimental shit like that."

 _Enough with the zodiac bullshit,_ Elena thought in annoyance.

"That's not true."

"Then why else do you have it, to look at this guy's signature over and over again-"

"Shut up, Jesse!" Elena stood up. "Just because Bonnie's not here I don't need you to pick up her slack."

Jesse reached out to cradle her face and held it steady. Metaphorically and literally making sure her head was on her shoulders.

"Baby, I am trying to get through your _stubborn_ , young brain that you need to think about what you're doing. Ever since New Year's you've just been cynical and-"

"That's what I want! I made a silent vow to myself that I would become a stronger person and if this is the way, so be it."

She turned her back towards Jesse with her arms crossed as she finished her closing sentence. Jesse no longer wanted to look at her back any longer. He scoffed and walked away from her. Elena didn't call for him to come back or anything. She looked up to see the cameras being put away and the girls on the poles were now walking off of it.

"We've run into a little budget issue, so you're all dismissed for the day," Elijah announced with hands out.

"You heard the man get the hell out of here and do something," Katherine ordered and they began to scatter around the place like birds during migration. It was only 6pm so they had an abundance of free time. Some of the girls got in groups planning to celebrate in the locker room. Elena wistfully put her hand on Bonnie's old locker and began to open her own so she could get her coat and head out the door.

When she walked out the dressing room she saw Elijah and Katherine just chatting it up. Katherine's grin got even bigger when she saw the displeased girl. Her laughs at Elijah's jokes got even louder and he didn't understand why. He just decided to go along with it, maybe he was funnier than he thought. He turned around to see Elena's heels clicking out of the door. She just found Katherine's actions to be low and pathetic but this was just beyond face stilled knowing the extra stunts Katherine pulled.

"Really?"

"What, I'm sorry but she already has someone at home waiting for her." Katherine looked up at Elijah with somber brown eyes.

"Treasure has a boyfriend?" Katherine nodded and wish she hadn't even brought it up, he looked entirely disappointed. He shouldn't be it's not like the young woman showed any romantic interest in him. He should have picked up on the signs. She was such a young talent, a man would hold her back for sure. Elijah just wished this mission would get less complicated. The goal was to buy the club. None of the emotional shit mattered.

Elijah got down on one knee and lift Katherine's chin from the floor. They shared a tender gaze. Their lips were dangerously close and she shivered. She hadn't hesitated to kiss a guy since grade school but now she wanted to break her record of not being nervous. Elijah closed the gap by kissing her, a kiss that was soft yet inviting. Not sexually like most of Katherine's liplocks went but romantically, like the man before her was ready to commit. Perhaps, she'd gone about the situation the wrong way but she deserved love too.

 **A/N: *runs to write chapters my other stories that need updates***


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18: A Star Is Born

It was a Thursday afternoon in Siberia-like Manhattan. Mothers and small children walked in their bubbly coats to their respective destinations. There was glee surrounding the air as the end of the first month of the year was near. Then there was Stefan Salvatore and Petrova Fire owner Katherine Pierce bickering from two different benches.

"Your girlfriend is an alcoholic with an appetite for fame," Katherine said looking ahead at the snow ridden trees.

"What?" Stefan asked, patting the hat on his head. "You dragged me out to Central Park to say that."

He began to stand up but Katherine's hand stopped him.

"Wait, I'm concerned about her can you just listen for one second?"

Slowly, he walked backward and sat on an adjacent bench to Katherine. He was mainly here for Elena which is why he even agreed to meet with Katherine in the first place. Neither of them wanted to be seen with one another.

"There are talks of making her the main girl in the video's storyline, you know you're always free to stop by. I'm sure she'd love a surprise visit with flowers and chocolates. Speaking of that, isn't Valentine's Day coming up?"

"I'm not going to invade and if she wants to be the lead of the video so be it."

"A stripper turned video vixen with a love for liquor deeper than the ocean itself, wow I am so loving where this headed. So poetic."

Her sarcasm reminded him of his brother, which also why he agreed to meet her ina public space.

"Why are you threatening Damon, again, may I add?"

Katherine laughed manically and took a drag from her cigarette.

"Rose is hardly a threat, if she had a working brain she could make some real money extorting your family. Anyways, I just wanted to put him in his place, he kept talking about my love life as if he wasn't the Upper East Side's community dick."

"Seems like he hit a nerve."

Katherine rolled her eyes. "There's a dinner tonight for all the girls, which you probably know. But then there's the talk of an after-party. Elena and this new girl are getting close."

Stefan looked at her; she was trying to change the subject.

"So, my brother doesn't have to deal with seeing a shared mistress of his and my father?"

"Ugh, you make it sound gross. Rose was a fun girl, and to be fair Damon and your dad don't even look alike."

Stefan stood up for good this time and was leaving Katherine and her vindictiveness behind.

"You know Elijah is my business partner, right?" She casually said, "He seems to get along with Elena, maybe there's a mutual crush there."

The Salvatore looked back at Katherine and scoffed. She just had a smirk on her face because she knew all of his confidence had shattered. Perhaps, she struck a nerve.

Elena had gone through a total of 7 dresses for the dinner party. Her final choice had been a short black Valentino dress paired with a classic pair of Louboutins. She knew none of the girls were going to dress classy or formal.

There was a black choker around her neck. Her right hand was draped in gold jewelry. Her hair was in a long high pony thanks to Jesse installing extensions in her hair. She had no idea how to fix it if it came apart.

Carmen: Are you ready? I'm coming to get you at 8 pm sharp bitch!

Elena chuckled at the message and replied. Little did she know Stefan was right behind her leaning on the doorframe. Now that he had talked with Katherine herself he was more observing to his girlfriend now than ever. The smiling and texting whoever she was right now were suspicious. He decided to walk in and made himself visible.

 _Elena: I'm gonna be ready, I swearrr. Wanna see my makeup, I spent so much time on blending._

 _Carmen: You know I do girl._

Just as about she was taking out her camera, he came shooting behind her and wrapped his hands around her waist. She froze at the closeness and then melted in his touch.

"Where you going?" Stefan asked, murmuring in her neck.

"Out, I said that— _ah_ , the other day. Stop doing that."

"What?" He teased, "I asked you a simple question." His left hand crossed over to her right thigh, gripping it.

Elena bit her bottom lip and grew accustomed to his sultry antics.

"I'm going to a dinner party, I've only been telling you about it–ah, only for a week now."

Stefan's lips left her neck and wrapped his hands around her waist. He looked at the two of them in the mirror. Her fragrance of Chanel No. 5 filled his nose.

"Why do you still wear this perfume knowing how magnetic it is?"

"I...I don't know."

He watched her hesitant expression in the mirror and toyed with her necklace that stopped right at her chest.

"I wanna take you somewhere, someplace warm and nice."

Elena's lips curved in a smile and she turned around to sit down on the sink's counter.

"Tell me where you wanna take me," She pulled him closer to her by the elastic of his pants.

Stefan chuckled and held his hands up innocently.

"You're not playing fair."

Her brown eyes sparkled in hunger. "Neither did you," Elena replied while wrapping her hands around his neck.

He leaned in for a kiss and she deepened it by wrapping her stray leg around his back. The heel part of her shoe was raking his back and drove him mad. He tried to fight his moan but it was no use, she had him whipped. He pushed her back towards the mirror and lightly kissed her neck.

"I have a cabin upstate," Stefan spoke, taking a breather.

Elena moaned and then pouted when his lips left her body.

"Baby, I thought you meant somewhere warm. Upstate is just as winter in the city, maybe worse."

"It is," He said tracing her finger as she watched in confusion. They interlocked fingers and he pressed her hand on the top of the mirror.

"The whole cabin is warm, even warmer with the fireplace and hot tub and doesn't forget we're warm too," Stefan responded smoothly.

"Ugh, it's too short notice. Katherine would never let me take off so I can spend a weekend with..."

"With?" He led on with a goofy smile.

"My boyfriend."

Stefan's grin grew wider and squeezed her thighs and she stifled a moan when his hand traveled towards her center. It was explicitly shown that he wanted her on the bathroom counter. Not since he walked in, no he was just curious about her leaving but when she sat on the marble counter just to tease him. He kissed her deeply and she returned the same fervor.

"I like that word."

..

Carmen honked her horn several times outside of the apartment building. She told Elena she would be there at a certain time and there she was - on time. The curly-haired woman rolled her eyes and pulled out a cigarette to light up while she waited in the middle of the street. Cars honked behind her but she didn't care one bit. The person they should have been honking at was Elena, she was the one who caused everything.

Elena exited out the apartment building in a weird walk-wobble and was adjusting her ponytail.

"You little whore," Carmen said with a smirk. "When I do get to meet him?"

The brunette slammed the car door shut and avoided her friend's eyes. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Carmen handed her cigarette to Elena who grabbed it and took a drag before throwing it out the window like a bad habit. The girl wasn't even a smoker it was simply just another vice to throw on-top of her bigger ones. She ran her fingers through the sides of her hair.

"I am so sorry that was so not supposed to happen, I swear."

"Don't apologize." The Latina woman looked her passenger over. "I'd fuck your pretty ass too before you left me for the night...and morning. Bitch, you know we going to that afterparty right?"

"No, you said we were going to the afterparty and I lightly agreed that it would be fun."

She looked at her rearview mirror and readjusted her black brassiere with a diamond on it that shined in its reflection. "More like heavily, ma. What changed, you tryin' to play housewife?"

Elena rolled her eyes with a smile plastered on her face; Carmen always fulfilled her duty of making her laugh.

"I'm supposed to be up at 7 tomorrow, he's taking me for a—"

"Elena, you _promised_!"

The dancer sighed at the voice of Carmen's whining and reminder ringing in her ears.

"Okay, let's see how the dinner goes."

..

The two seats left empty for Elena and Carmen just so happened to be across from Katherine. They sat down quietly as possible but were glared at by the other girls. The boss woman put her elbows on the table and rested her chin in her palms.

"You two are late, it's expected of you, Elena but maybe not Carmen."

Elena coughed. "We ran out of squares, went to the gas station to get some more."

"And we're starving you two can do that back and forth stuff another day. So can we please order?" A dancer whined, cutting their rivalry short.

"We'll order when Elijah gets back since he is the only with pockets deep and generous enough to feed you, ungrateful bitches."

Elijah returned and took his seat gracefully and smiled at the two new added ladies at the table.

"Well hello to you too, I'm glad you can make it." He stood up and announced, "Everything is on me tonight, order what your heart and stomach desires."

All the women cheered and were happily making up their minds ever since menus were handed out to them.

Carmen nudged Elena. "Since he's paying I think mama's gonna get her filet minion." She laughed.

The waiter came back to take a total of 34 orders plus a bottle of their finest champagne. It certainly was going to be a positive night if Katherine kept her rude comments to herself. Their food came and their stomachs were soon happy and full.

Carmen began, "So, Elijah while we all appreciate this generosity believe me the last pockets I dig into are my own." Elena kicked her feet under the table and she just continued. "I don't know why you wanna invest your money on a bunch of high-school education strippers."

Almost everyone hummed and concurred with her statement and Elena just facepalmed.

"Don't make him separate the bill so you all can dip into your tips," Katherine said icily.

Elijah touched Katherine's shoulder and quietly responded, "Be kind, please."

Elena looked down at her steak and looked up when he spoke up again.

"I'm going to pass my card of all my information around. Anything that you need, I'm just a call away."

Carmen eyed it, its colors were blue and grey with his number, that she assumed to be professional.

"That's nice and all but me and Elena gotta go," The woman in a rush stated while placing the silverware in her purse.

"Bitch, are you taking the damn silverware?" Aquarius asked with a raised eyebrow and crossed arms.

The thieving dancer glared at her and showed the scribe on the utensils. "You see that? These babies are worth some real coin. Maybe you bitches should learn another hustle besides shaking those moon crater asses for $2 tips," She advises as she stood up to leave with everything in her purse. The fellow dancers grew angry and were about to step to her until Elena rose from her seat.

She chuckled. "Guys, you know she didn't mean it and she is going to go to start the car, right Carmen?"

"Right," Carmen looked over the group of scantily clad women, "Adios bitches!"

They just had to settle with her words and grumbled and moaned about the woman after she left.

"Leaving so soon?" Elena stopped as she grabbed her purse when she heard Elijah's voice.

She met his soft brown eyes. "Yeah, we appreciate it, I mean I really appreciate it but we have to go somewhere urgent."

"Like a party?" Katherine asked and took a sip of her glass with her dark, villainous eyes on Elena.

"It isn't your business but yeah we're attending a party. Wanna drive us there, _mom_?"

"Oh, I'm sure once they turn the lights on they'll see your real age too, sweetheart. Heavy makeup might have put you at 18 but most definitely not 21 tonight."

Katherine was smiling and everyone had been hollering at the back and forth. She just oozed confidence and knew everyone was back on her side.

Elena realized she never took one sip from her champagne and lifted it from the table. Carmen must have poured her a great amount and she was thankful for it.

"Let's make a toast before I leave," The brunette announced. "As you all know, today is the 31st and I hope the second month of the year is filled with healthy growth and changes for all of us."

"Amen." Everyone cheered and sipped on their premium beverage.

Elijah smiled. "Have a good time tonight, like I've expressed we're sad to see you go."

Elena looked at Katherine who was surprised she took the high road. "I would have to love to stay longer, but have a lovely evening everybody."

"Well played," The boss said behind a slow clap.

* * *

With Carmen's erratic driving and her disregard for other people as they traveled the streets of Manhattan. Once they got there she grabbed Elena's hand and sprinted her to the top floor via elevator. The beat to the song roared throughout the entire floor until they heard the music itself by walking in.

Elena couldn't remember if they walked in or knocked but her surroundings got increasingly blurring. The penthouse was glamorous but no one was sober enough to admire it. Women were scantily clad and their hips to the music and drinking. The men weren't moving an inch from their seat because they were smoking.

"See, told you they'd let us in," Carmen smiled.

"Ugh, we stay for 30 minutes." Carmen pouted and then she rolled her eyes. "Okay, an hour at the most and then we leave," Elena said firmly.

Carmen smiled deviously and led Elena to the kitchen where they could safely pour their drinks. They did a shot of Hennessy together without hesitation. The other girls who were sipping on light alcohol such as wine coolers just stared. Carmen whispered in Elena's ear.

"Hoes mad."

It wasn't even that funny but the woman in the mini black dress couldn't stop cackling. She and her friend were truly two peas in a pod. Once consuming two more shots, the girl sat on the counter and kicked one of her legs up and examined her heel.

The length and sharpness of a Louboutin could kill a man. She was mindlessly running her fingers through her hair.

"Let's go to the couch, Mami," Carmen nestled in between her legs and placed her hands on her thighs.

"No-oow?" Elena slurred loudly as her friend grabbed her hand and slid her off the counter. Her back was being supported by a manicured hand. The room was rotating in her head but she was walking straight. She was being touched on the wrist by some guy and her ears were able to make out what he was saying.

"I said what's your name ma'?"

"E-lena," Elena sounded out with a giggle escaping her mouth.

He sat up and shook her hand. "Some of us got manners. You a party girl, huh?"

"I try to save my partying for the weekend."

The male checked his digital watch. "It's 1:45, baby Friday's already here."

Something clicked for Elena, she was supposed to be in bed now but she was getting drunk and staying out.

"I-I have to go. Carmen, we're leaving!" She stood up, just barely and walked towards the door and turned around to see her friend distracted with some guy. The drunken girl squinted and whined her name again only for Carmen to trudge over to her.

"This is going so good for me, can't you wait like 15 minutes?"

"No, I can...barely stand and I'm suppose-supposed to be home now and oh, my God I am so drunk right now."

Carmen sighed and wrapped Elena's arm behind her back and essentially walked her out of the party. They waved 'bye' to everybody in their respective intoxicated states. The winter air wasn't as abrasive since they had already had liquor running through their bloodstream. Carmen laughed like hell when she saw how sloppily her car was parked.

The vivacious woman pulled out her car keys; "You wanna drive?"

"I'm drunk," Elena deadpanned.

"Shit, me too." Carmen turned the car engine on. "We can just sit in here with the heat on. Maybe sleep in here, I don't know."

The younger female sat with her face in her hands.

"I am so fucked."

"Aw, why, hon?"

"I'm drunk on a Thursday/Friday knowing I had plans in the morning. I can't go home and face him, I am such a bad girlfriend."

"Hey," Carmen put her hand over Elena's. "You're not a bad girlfriend, okay? You had a little slip-up, I'm sure you can work something else out."

Elena nodded but tears still welled in her eyes and fell from her face. "I messed up bad."

"Shut up," Carmen told her as she reached over and hugged her tightly. "I'm gonna call Elijah to see if he can get my car towed to my place and you can sleep there."

"I don't think that's a good idea..." Did she really want to beg Elijah for favors at 2:30 in the morning?

"Too late I'm calling that number he gave us, it was for these reasons so just sit there and wait."

He answered before the final ring and it turned out that Elijah was a major lifesaver and even came to where they were parked at to make sure everything was legit. He knew they were at some party and didn't want to risk a DUI. Secretly, he hoped Elena's conscious would have told her to just stay longer and go home afterward as a narrow-headed girl would. Fortunately, he liked that she wasn't a normal girl.

"Thank you so much, Elijah," Elena said holding arms as the car went on the lever.

"I got quite the scare when I heard my phone ring but that I know you—you ladies are safe I feel great about breaking my slumber."

She let out a small chuckle. "Yeah," She touched his forearm and looked at him with genuine orbs of gratefulness. "Thank you again."

Even though Carmen made her feel more than welcome to sleep in, Elena still got up at 9 am to get ready to leave. She brushed her hair out of the ponytail, washed her face, and brushed her teeth. Carmen was still sound asleep and she took that as her cue to leave. They shared certain traits but the two women just lived differently.

* * *

Elena was surprised to see a somewhat full house. She walked with her heels in her hand and barefooted and looked blankly at the people in her kitchen - Bonnie, Damon, Jesse, and Lexi. They were all eating breakfast and chatting it up. There was no Stefan to be found.

She tried to walk silently in but Damon blew her cover.

"Ah, long night I see," His grating voice rang in her eyes twice as hard with her hangover.

Elena faked a smile. "Yep, just glad to be here."

"Come join us," Jesse patted an empty seat and smiled nicely.

"I...uh, I don't know if that's a good idea. The food looks amazing though."

"Elena." She looked to Bonnie and then Jesse and a made a 'she's ignoring me' face. He motioned for her to still come over.

Damon started pouring a mass amount of syrup on his pancakes and his fiancé put up a face of disgust. He stuffed his face with the pancake. "What?" He said, muffled.

"This is what you're going to have see. Everyday." Lexi told Bonnie.

"I just don't understand the need for more syrup," She snatched the bottle from his vicinity and lightly whacked him on the head with it. "You already had some on there."

"It dried up; I like my pancakes wet, woman!"

The caramel-skinned woman rolled her eyes to keep herself from smiling like an idiot. "Boy, you are so stupid."

Damon pecked her lips. "You love my stupid ass, though."

Elena cleared her throat. "So, um, where's Stefan?"

Bonnie put her elbows on the table and shot a glare at her. "Why do you care?" The room got twice as quiet and everyone was waiting for a reply. It was no secret that the two were drifting apart since Bonnie quit.

"That should be self-explanatory - he's my boyfriend, we live together, why wouldn't I be concerned?"

"It seemed like you were concerned with other things last night."

Elena scoffed. "Please, don't even go there with passing judgment, please."

The front door swung open and prevented an ongoing argument. "Hey, I got the orange juice on my way to the supermarket-" Stefan stopped his sentence when he saw Elena.

"Stefan," She called out, barely raising her voice.

He cleared his throat and walked past her to put the groceries away. Everyone in the room went quiet and gauged their reactions. The two of them's timing was awful and they overlapped and none of their problems would be resolved.

"Is that what you're doing, ignoring me?" Elena spoke up.

"I'm talking to you now, aren't I? Sorry, if the world doesn't stop when you miss out, we move forward," Stefan replied.

"Yikes," Damon commented underneath his breath before being kicked in the ankle by Lexi. "~Ow!"

The brunette walked towards her boyfriend. "Don't do that, I got here as fast I could in this weather, I'm freezing cold."

He closed the refrigerator loudly and it made her jump slightly.

"Just maybe, _maybe_ if you just came home last night that wouldn't even happen!"

Elena wiped a single tear from her eye. This was it - crying in front of their friends had to be one of her most embarrassing moments. She just wanted this friction to pass.

"Look, I messed up, okay," She said through her sobs. "I had too much to drink and crashed at a friend's."

"How'd you get there?"

"I...I can't say."

"You can't tell me? "

Elena crossed her arms and looked away from him. She just wanted to keep Elijah's help confidential and even bury in the back of her mind that she even needed it. Their guests in the kitchen had heard enough and began to pack up quietly. Once the door closed and the house emptied itself out she spoke up.

"No, I can't, not now." Or ever, she wanted to say. "I'll just leave you alone for the rest of the day, week, month, whatever."

Elena stepped away and glanced back to see Stefan peering at the granite tabletop. The conversation he had with Katherine replayed in his head like a catchy record. Everything she was saying had to be true about Elena. This started out with him trying to spend more time with her now she chose not to talk him at all. He didn't want Katherine to be right but she had been and it was eating him alive.


End file.
